Japan-Spain Relations

September 10, 2019

Basic Data

Diplomatic Relations

Established in 1868 with the signing of the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation.

Japanese Nationals in Spain

8,192 (October 2017) (Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan)

Spanish Nationals in Japan:

3,368 (December 2018) (Source: Ministry of Justice of Japan)

Economic Relations

  • Export: 372.5 billion yen (2018) (Transportation equipment, machinery, and electronic machinery)
  • Import: 370.4 billion yen (2018) (Food, chemicals, and transportation equipment)

Direct Investment from Japan

Balance of direct investment as of 2018: 815.5 billion yen

VIP Visits

From Japan to Spain (since 2010)
Year Name
2013 His Imperial Highness The Crown Prince
2014 Minister for Foreign Affairs Kishida
Prime Minister Abe
Minister for Reconstruction Nemoto
2017 President of the House of Councillors Date
Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Takisawa
2018 State Minister for Foreign Affairs Nakane
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Seko
Prime Minister Abe
2019 Minister of State for Special Missions Hirai
From Spain to Japan
Year Name
2010 President of the Government Zapatero
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Moratinos
Minister for Industry, Tourism and Trade Sebastian
Minister of Science and Innovation Garmendia y Mendizábal
2011 Minister for Culture Gonzalez-Sinde
2012 Minister for Economic Affairs and Competitiveness De Guindos
2013 Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Garcia-Margallo
President of the Senate Garcia-Escudero
President of the Government Rajoy
2014 President of the Congress Posada
Minister for Defense Morenés
2015 Minister for Economic Affairs and Competitiveness De Guindos
2017 Their Majesties the King Felipe VI and the Queen Letizia
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Dastis
2018 Minister for Defense De Cospedal
2019 Acting President of the Government Sanchez
Minister of Industry Maroto
Minister of Economy and Enterprise Calviño

Other Exchanges

  • The Japan-Spain Symposium, which is attended by leading intellectuals of both countries, has been held since 1997.
  • In Spain, Japanese language education and Japanese studies have become popular in recent years, and through the cooperation of the governments and the private sectors in Japan and Spain, the Centro Cultural Hispano-Japonés was opened at the University of Salamanca in the spring of 1999. The Spanish government opened the Cervantes Institute in Tokyo in 2008. The Japan Foundation opened an office in Madrid in 2010 to further promote understanding of Japanese culture in Spain.
  • In relation to tourism, 551,000 Japanese tourists visited Spain in 2018. The number of Spanish visitors to Japan reached a record high of 119,000 in 2018.
  • Twelve sister-city agreements have been reached between Japanese and Spanish cities.
    • Nara – Toledo, Yamaguchi – Pamplona, Marugame – San Sebastián, Kure – Marbella, Ofunato – Paros de la Frontera, Mie Prefecture – Valencia State, Kobe – Barcelona, Kiyosu – Jerez de la Frontera, Toyooka – Alicante, Wakayama Prefecture (Kumano Kodō) – Galicia State (Camino de Santiago), Yamaguchi Prefecture – Navarra State, Ube – Castellón de la Plana
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