Japan-Iran Relations (Basic Data)

September 2012

Basic Data

1. Political Relations

(1) Japan opened a legation in Iran in August 1929, and Iran opened a legation in Japan in July 1930. Diplomatic relations were suspended in April 1942 and reopened in November 1953. In February 1955 the legations were elevated to the status of embassies. In January 1977, the Japanese Consulate General opened in the city of Khorramshahr, but it was temporarily closed in 1981 because of the Iran-Iraq War (officially closed in April 1997).

(2) In May 1958, Shah Mohammad Reza PAHLAVI visited Japan. In November 1960, the Crown Prince and Princess visited Iran. In September 1978, Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda visited Iran.

(3) Iranian President Seyyed Mohammad KHATAMI visited Japan at the end of October 2000, the first visit of an Iranian president to Japan, and the first head of government from Iran to visit in 42 years.

(4) VIP visits continued after the Ahmadinejad administration was formed, including the visits by Mr. Mohammad Reza BAHONAR, First Vice Speaker of Parliament, to Japan in November 2005; Foreign Minister Manouchehr MOTTAKI in February-March 2006; Mr. Esfandyar Rahim MASHAEE, Vice President and Head of Iran Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicraft Organization in July of the same year; Mr. Mohammad ALIABADI, Vice President and Head of Physical Education Organization, in August 2007; the visits to Iran by Mr. Itsunori Onodera, Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs in October, November and December 2007 and June 2008; visits to Japan by H.E. Dr. Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, Mayor of Tehran, in October 2008; Mr. Esfandyar Rahim MASHAEE, Vice President and Head of Iran Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicraft Organization, in November 2008; Mr. Hojjatol-eslam Mohammad Esmail SHOUSHTARI, Advisor to the Judiciary Chief, in November 2008; and Mr. Mojtaba SAMAREH HASHEMI, Senior Advisor to President (special presidential envoy) in January 2009. On June 3, 2008, Prime Minister Fukuda and President Ahmadinejad met on the occasion of the World Food Summit in Rome, the first meeting between the leaders of Japan and Iran in eight years. Meetings between the foreign ministers of the two countries have been held 13 times, including 10 telephone conferences, since 2006.

2. Economic Relations

(1) Iran's Trade with Japan

(a) Trade value

(b) Main products (2007)

• Iran to Japan: Crude oil (96%), LPG (3%)
  (Crude oil imports to Japan 499,000 barrels/day (12.1%. Third leading crude oil supply country after Saudi Arabia and UAE) (2007))
• Japan to Iran: General machinery (30%), motor vehicles (28%), iron and steel (13%)

(2) Direct investment from Japan

Fiscal 1992: $378 million
Since fiscal 1993: 0 (cumulative total 1979-2007: $529 million)

(3) Economic missions

1990, March	Visit by Japan Federation of Economic Organizations (KEIDANREN) mission
1991, September	Visit by Japan Federation of Economic Organizations (KEIDANREN) Qeshm Island observation mission
1993, February	Visit by Japan Association of Corporate Executives delegation
1998, July	Visit by Japan Federation of Economic Organizations (KEIDANREN) mission
2001, July	Visit by Japanese government economic mission
2006, May	Visit to Japan by a delegation from the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Mines (to participate in the Iran Business Seminar organized by the Japan and Tokyo Chambers of Commerce and Industry)
2008, November	Visit to Japan by an Iranian government delegation (consisting of representatives from the President's Office and Ministries of Oil, Energy, and Foreign Affairs, to participate in an Iran Investment Seminar organized jointly by JETRO and the Iranian Embassy in Tokyo)

3. Japan's Economic Cooperation (as of 2007)

(1) Loan aid: Aggregate of 81.028 billion yen until Japanese fiscal year 2007 (exchange of notes basis)

(2) Grant aid: Aggregate of 3.629 billion yen until Japanese fiscal year 2007 (exchange of notes basis)

(3) Technical Cooperation: Aggregate of 21.161 billion yen until Japanese fiscal year 2007 (cost basis)

4. Cultural Relations

(1) Japan-Iran Cultural Agreement concluded in 1957 (cultural exchanges commemorating the 50th anniversary of this agreement from November 2008 to November 2009).

(2) Most active human exchanges in Middle East (about 40% of government sponsored foreign students).

(3) Iran Culture Week organized by the Embassy of Iran in Tokyo, July 1997, May 2003

(4) Japan Culture Week and Month in Tehran organized by the Embassy of Iran in Tokyo in October 1998, October 1999. Project to introduce Japanese culture also held in February 2003.

(5) "The Glory of Persia" exhibit held in Tokyo, Aichi, Hokkaido, Fukuoka, and Osaka, August 2006-September 2007. The history of Persia dating back about 7,000 years was introduced through an exhibit of approximately 200 pieces, mostly from the National Museum of Iran.

(6) 2009 is the 80th anniversary of the opening of Japan-Iran diplomatic relations.

5. Number of Japanese Nationals Residing in Iran

711 (registered number as of October 2008)
(registered number of Japanese corporations as of October 2008: 33)

6. Number of Iranian Nationals Residing in Japan

5,165 (registered number as of December 31, 2008; Ministry of Justice statistics)

7. VIP Visits (since the founding of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979)

Japanese VIPs visiting Iran

Year	Name
1979, October	Masumi Ezaki, Minister of International Trade and Industry
1983, August	Mr. Shintaro Abe, Minister for Foreign Affairs
1986, January	Mr. Masayuki Fujio, Chairman of the Policy Affairs' Research Council, Liberal Democratic Party
1987, June	Mr. Tadashi Kuranari, Minister for Foreign Affairs
1989, July	Mr. Masayuki Fujio, Liberal Democratic Party special envoy (condolence emissary for Ayatollah Khomeini)
	Mr. Masayuki Fujio, President, Japan-Iran Parliamentarians' League
1991, March	Mr. Taro Nakayama, Minister for Foreign Affairs (Japan-Iran Parliamentarians' League delegation)
1992, May	Mr. Ryutaro Hashimoto, Member of the House of Representatives (former Finance Minister)
1998, April	Mr. Masahiko Koumura, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs
1998, October	Party led by Mr. Koki Chuma, Chairman, Lower House Foreign Affairs Committee
1999, August	Mr. Masahiko Koumura,Minister for Foreign Affairs
2000, August	Japan-Iran Parliamentarians' League delegation (Mr. Taro Nakayama, President, Mr. Koji Omi, Vice President, Mr. Yasuo Fukuda, Secretary-General, first Japanese delegation in 9 years)
2001, July	Mr. Takeo Hiranuma, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry
2001, August	Ms. Kaori Maruya, Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs
2001, August	Mr. Hosei Norota, Chairman of the Committee on Budget of the House of Representatives, and party
2001, October	Mr. Masahiko Koumura, Prime Minister's Special Envoy
2001, November	Mr. Koichi Yoshida, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives
2001, December	Democratic Party of Japan Diet Members' group (Mr. Motohisa Ikeda, Diet Member, Mr. Shoichi Kondo, Diet Member, Mr. Masamitsu Naito, Diet Member, Mr. Tsukasa Iwamoto, Diet Member)
2002, January	Ms. Sadako Ogata, Special Representative of Prime Minister of Japan on Afghanistan
2002, May	Ms. Yoriko Kawaguchi, Minister for Foreign Affairs
2002, September	Mr. Kozo Watanabe, Vice Speaker of the House of Representatives
2002, November	Mr. Taro Nakayama, Prime Minister's Special Envoy (Iraq issue)
2003, March	New Komeito Diet Members' group (Ms. Toshiko Hamayotsu, Deputy Representative, Mr. Kiyohiko Toyama, Diet Member)
2003, May	Liberal Democratic Party Diet Member's group (Mr. Yasuhisa Shiozaki, Diet Member, Mr. Mikio Shimoji, Diet Member, Mr. Hideaki Omura, Diet Member)
2003, June	New Komeito Diet Members' group (Mr. Akihiro Ota, Deputy Secretary-General, Mr. Kiyohiko Toyama, Diet Member)
2003, June	Mr. Yukio Okamoto, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister
2003, December	Mr. Yukio Okamoto, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister
2004, January	Ms. Yoriko Kawaguchi, Minister for Foreign Affairs
2004, February	New Komeito Diet Members' group (Ms. Toshiko Hamayotsu, Deputy Representative, Mr. Kiyohiko Toyama, Diet Member, Visit to Mesopotamian marsh)
2004, May	Mr. Masahiko Koumura, Prime Minister's Special Envoy
2004, May	Mr. Toshitsugu Saito, Chairman of the House of Representatives Special Committee on Iraq, Mr. Gen Nakatani, Committee member)
2004, August	Former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto (to participate in International Environmental Conference)
2005, January	Mr. Ichiro Aisawa, Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs
2005, May	Ms. Yoriko Kawaguchi, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister
2006, April-May	Democratic Party of Japan Diet Members' group (Mr. Katsuya Okada, former Representative, Mr. Shu Watanabe, Diet Member, Mr. Hideki Wakabayashi, Diet Member)
2006, August	Liberal Democratic Party Diet Members' group (Mr. Ichiro Aisawa, Deputy Secretary-General, Mr. Hiromichi Watanabe, Assistant Vice Secretary-General, Mr. Kazuki Sugawara, Vice Secretary-General)
2006, November	Mr. Kenshiro Matsunami, Diet Member, Mr. Hitoshi Goto, Diet Member (attendance at the 7th General Assembly of the Association of Asian Parliaments for Peace)
2007, October	Mr. Itsunori Onodera, Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs
2007, November	Mr. Itsunori Onodera, Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs
2007, November	Mr. Koji Omi, Diet Member
2007, Decmeber	Mr. Itsunori Onodera, Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs
2008, June	Mr. Itsunori Onodera, Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs
2008. June	Mr. Kotaro Tamura, Diet Member
2008, August	Ms. Akiko Yamanaka, Diet Member
2008, November	Mr. Taro Nakayama, Chairman Japan-Iran Parliamentarians Friendship League

Iranian VIPs visiting Japan

Year	Name
1984, April	Dr. Ali Akbar VELAYATI, Minister of Foreign Affairs
1985, February	Mr. Behzad NAVABI, Minister of Heavy Industries
1985, June	Mr. Serajeldin KAZEROUNI, Minister of House & Urban Construction
1985, July	Mr. Ali Akbar HASHEMI RAFSANJANI, Speaker of Parliament (with Dr. Ali Akbar VELAYATI, Minister of Foreign Affairs)
1987, November	Dr. Ali Akbar VELAYATI, Minister of Foreign Affairs
1988, December	Mr. Mohammad GHARAZI, Minister for Post
1989, February	Mr. Mostafa MIR-SALIM, Vice President (to attend Rites of Imperial Funeral)
1990, November	Mr. Alireza MOAYERI, Advisor to the President (ambassador to celebrate the Enthronement)
1991, September	Iran-Japan Parliamentary Friendship Group (led by Mr. Mohammad Ali SOBHANOLLAHI)
1993, March	Mr. Gholamhossein KARBASCHI, Mayor of Tehran
1993, October	Mr. Gholamhossein KARBASCHI, Mayor of Tehran
1994, May	Mr. Gholam Reza AGHAZADEH, Minister of Petroleum
1997, December	Dr. Masoumeh EBTEKAR, Vice President and Head of Department of Environment
1998, February	Mr. Mostafa HASHEMI TABA, Vice President and President of the Physical Education Organization
1998, September	Mr. Ali Movahedi SAVOJI, Head of Interior Committee, Parliament
1998, December	Dr. Kamal KHARRAZI, Minister of Foreign Affairs
1999, October	Dr. Hassan ROHANI, Vice Speaker of Parliament
2000, May	Mr. Mahmoud HOJJATI, Minister of Road and Transportation
2000, June	Mr. Hojjatol-eslam Seyyed Mohammad Ali ABTAHI, Head of Presidential Office (funeral ambassador for Prime Minister Obuchi)
2000, September	Dr. Ataollah MOHAJERANI, Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance
2000, October-November	Mr. Hojjatol-eslam Seyyed Mohammad KHATAMI, President (accompanied by Dr. Kamal KHARRAZI, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Bijan ZANGENEH, Minister of Petroleum, official guests)
2001, February	Mr. Bijan ZANGENEH, Minister of Petroleum
2001, July	Dr. Ataollah MOHAJERANI, Head of International Institute for Dialogue among Civilizations
2001, October	Iran-Japan Parliamentary Friendship Group (led by Mr. Rahmani Kalili, 4 others)
2001, November	Dr. Kamal KHARRAZI, Minister of Foreign Affairs
2002, January	Dr. Kamal KHARRAZI, Minister of Foreign Affairs
2002, September	Mr. Bijan ZANGENEH, Minister of Petroleum
2002, October	Mr. Seyyed Mohammad-Reza KHATAMI, Vice Speaker of Parliament (Mr. Ahmadi, Member of Parliament, Mr. Namazi, Member of Parliament)
2002, December	Mr. Majid ANSARI, Head of Planning and Budget Committee, Parliament
2003, January	Mr. Ahmad MOTAMEDI, Minister of Post
2003, March	Mr. Habibollah BITARAF, Minister of Energy
2003, May	Dr. Gholam-Ali HADDADADEL, Member of Parliament (to participate in Iran Culture Week)
2003, August	Dr. Kamal KHARRAZI, Minister of Foreign Affairs
2004, March	Dr. Hassan ROHANI, Secretary, Supreme National Security Council
2004, April	Mr. Mohsen MEHRALIZADEH, Vice President and Head of the Physical Education Organization
2005, February	Dr. Kamal KHARRAZI, Minister of Foreign Affairs
2005, April	Mr. Mohammad SHARIATMADARI, Minister of Commerce (Expo 2005, Aichi, Japan)
2005, May	Mr. Seyyed Mohammad BEHSHTI, Head of Cultural Heritage Centre, Iran Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicraft Organization
2005, May	Mr. Hamidreza Baradaran SHORAKA, Vice President and Head of Management and Planning Organization
2005, July	Mr. Mohammad Reza BAHONAR, First Vice Speaker of Parliament (Opinion Leader Invitation)
2005, August	Mr. Hossein MARASHI, Vice President and Head of Iran Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicraft Organization
2006, February	Mr. Manouchehr MOTTAKI, Minister of Foreign Affairs
2006, July	Mr. Esfandyar Rahim MASHAEE, Vice President and Head of Iran Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicraft Organization
2006, August	Mr. Hojjatol-eslam Seyyed Mohammad KHATAMI, Former President (World Conference on Religion and Peace)
2007, March	Mr. Mohammad SHARIATMADARI, Member of Foreign Relations and Strategy Council (Opinion Leader Invitation)
2007, June	Mr. Ali ABBSPOUR TEHRANIFARD, Head of Education and Research Committee, Parliament
2007, August	Mr. Mohammad ALIABADI, Vice President, Head of Physical Education Organization (Asian sports presidents' meeting)
2007, December	Mr. Parviz FATTAH, Minister of Energy (Asia-Pacific Water Forum)
2008, February	Dr. Mohammad-Javad ARDASHIR=LARIJANI, Secretary General of National Supreme Council of the Human Rights of the Judiciary and Advisor to the Judiciary Chief for International Affairs
2008, October	Dr. Mohammad Baqer GHALIBAF, Mayor of Tehran (Opinion Leader Invitation)
2008, November	Mr. Esfandyar Rahim MASHAEE, Vice President and Head of Iran Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicraft Organization
2008, December	Mr. Hojjatol-eslam Mohammad Esmail SHOUSHTARI, Advisor to the Judiciary Chief
2009, January	Mr. Mojtaba SAMAREH HASHEMI, Senior Advisor to President (Special Presidential Envoy)

8. Bilateral Agreements/Arrangements

1939	Treaty of Amity (70th anniversary of this treaty in 2009)
1953	Exchange of notes to reopen diplomatic relations
1958	Cultural Agreement
1958	Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement
1963	Mutual Judicial Assistance Arrangements
1974	Visa Waiver Arrangements (partially suspended since April 1992)

9. Diplomatic Envoys

(1) Mr. Akio Shirota, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (credentials presented December 4, 2007)

(2) Dr. Seyyed Abbas ARAGHCHI, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (credentials presented March 11, 2008)

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