Japan-Iran 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 resumed in November 1953. In February 1955 the legations were elevated to the status of embassies. In January 1977, a Japanese Consulate General opened in the city of Khorramshahr, but it was temporarily closed in 1981 due to the Iran-Iraq War and officially closed in April 1997.
2. In May 1958, Shah Mohammad Reza PAHLAVI visited Japan. In November 1960, Japan’s Crown Prince and Princess visited Iran. In September 1978, Prime Minister FUKUDA Takeo visited Iran.
3. Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the establishment of the Islamic Republic, Japan continued to expand bilateral relations with Iran based on their historically friendly relationship. In late October 2000, President Seyyed Mohammad KHATAMI visited Japan. In June 2019, Prime Minister ABE Shinzo visited Iran, marking the first visit by a Japanese prime minister in 41 years. In December 2019, President Hassan ROUHANI visited Japan—the first visit by an Iranian president in 19 years.
4. Under the TAKAICHI administration, Japan and Iran have held telephone talks at the leaders and foreign ministerial levels and Japan has engaged in persistent diplomatic efforts to foster the historically friendly relationship, ease tensions in the Middle East, and stabilize the situation in the region, while also exchanging views on further developing the bilateral relationship.
5. In addition to high-level dialogues, working-level dialogues are also taking place in fields such as human rights, consular affairs, and disarmament and non-proliferation. Furthermore, under the Japan-Iran Cooperation Council—the launch of which was concurred upon during Foreign Minister KISHIDA Fumio’s visit to Iran in July 2015—the two countries are exchanging views on cooperation across a wide range of topics, including economic cooperation, culture, and sports.

• Fiscal 2021: None

1. Loan aid: Aggregate of 46.108 billion yen until Japanese fiscal year 2024 (loan agreements basis)
2. Grant aid: Aggregate of 14.299 billion yen until Japanese fiscal year 2024 (exchange of notes basis)
3. Technical Cooperation: Aggregate of 32.124 billion yen until Japanese fiscal year 2024 (cost basis)

1. The Japan-Iran Cultural Agreement was concluded in 1958. Every year, the Japanese Embassy in Iran organizes cultural events in Iran to introduce Japanese culture. Similarly, in Japan, the Iranian Embassy in Tokyo organizes cultural events to introduce Iranian culture.
2. From August 2006 to September 2007, the “Exhibition of Persian Civilization: 7,000 Years of Shining Treasures” was held in Tokyo, Aichi, Hokkaido, Fukuoka, and Osaka. The exhibition, through around 200 exhibits primarily from the National Museum of Iranian Archaeology, introduced the history of ancient Persia, dating back approximately 7,000 years.
3. In 2009, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Iran, commemorative cultural events were held in Japan and Iran, and these events were attended by Foreign Minister NAKASONE Hirofumi in Japan and by Foreign Minister Manouchehr MOTTAKI in Iran. In addition, various public relations and cultural exchange programs were carried out in the two countries.
4. In 2019, on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs YAMADA Kenji visited Iran in August and attended a commemorative cultural event (a projection mapping display) at Golestan Palace, a historical site where the very first Japanese Minister Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Iran presented his credentials. Furthermore, in October 2019, a ceremony to present a gift of Lusterware, a type of traditional Iranian art, was held at a museum in Tehran. The piece was created by Japanese ceramic artist KATO Kobei and his Iranian apprentice. Additionally, the “Japan Room,” a space dedicated to introducing Japanese culture, was opened in the Embassy of Japan in Iran, providing Iranian youth with a place to experience Japanese culture firsthand, ranging from traditional culture to pop culture. In Japan, a commemorative event was held in February 2019, organized by the Iranian Embassy in Tokyo and attended by Parliament Speaker Ali ARDASHIR=LARIJANI.

327 (as of October 1, 2025; Ministry of Foreign Affairs Survey on the Number of Japanese Nationals Residing Abroad)

(21 Japanese companies as of October 1, 2024; Ministry of Foreign Affairs Survey on the Number of Japanese Nationals Residing Abroad)

4,399 (as of December, 2024; Ministry of Justice statistics)

• 1939: Treaty of Amity
• 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)
• 2016: Prisoner Transfer Treaty
• 2017: Investment Agreement
• 2025: Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement

1. H.E. Mr. TSUKADA Tamaki, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
2. H.E. Mr. Peiman SEADAT, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary