Courtesy Visit to the Ambassador of Honduras

Dr. Ritter Diaz, Representative Director of the Japan Association for Promotion of Latin America and the Caribbean (JAPOLAC), paid a courtesy visit to His Excellency Harold Burgos, Ambassador of the Republic of Honduras.

During the meeting, Dr. Diaz provided Ambassador Burgos with an overview of JAPOLAC’s objectives and activities, emphasizing the importance of practical exchanges between Japan and the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. Specifically, they discussed collaborations in education, cultural promotion, and facilitating business opportunities for small and medium-sized companies.

Dr. Diaz extended an invitation to the Embassy of Honduras to become an honorary member of JAPOLAC, aiming to enhance awareness of the Republic of Honduras in Japan.

Ambassador Burgos expressed his appreciation for the visit and the introduction to the Association, demonstrating keen interest in JAPOLAC’s activities. He mentioned his intention to consult with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Honduras to explore potential avenues of collaboration with the Association.

Accompanying Dr. Diaz were senior directors of JAPOLAC, Mr. Ajoy Sinha Roy and Mr. Neil Butler.

Bolivian Music Festa in Chiba Prefecture

Upon invitation of the Embassy of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Dr. Ritter Diaz, Representative Director of JAPOLAC, attended the event “Latin Music Festa in Tako 2024-ESPECIAL BOLIVIA”, jointly organized by the Embassy of Bolivia and the Municipal Government of Tako City in Chiba Prefecture.

The event took place at the Cultural Hall of Tako City and became part of the celebration of the 110 years of diplomatic relations between Bolivia and Japan. The event attracted a large audience of Tako City residents, who enjoyed live Bolivian Andean music and colorful dance performances featuring characteristic costumes of the Bolivian carnival.

In addition to the residents of Tako, the event was attended by authorities from Chiba Prefecture, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, and members of the Latin American diplomatic corps.

Ms. Natalia Salazar, Charge d’Affaires ad interim of the Embassy of Bolivia, expressed her gratitude to local authorities for supporting the organization of this event, which significantly contributed to the dissemination of Bolivian culture in Japan and the showcasing of Tako City’s tourist attractions.

Similarly, Dr. Diaz expressed his gratitude to Ms. Salazar for the kind invitation to the event and reiterated JAPOLAC’s commitment to promoting Bolivian cultural awareness in Japan.

Extraordinary Argentine Tango Performance

On February 15, Dr. Ritter Diaz, Representative Director of JAPOLAC, attended an Argentine tango performance at Bunkyo Civic Hall by kind invitation from the Argentine Embassy in Japan and the Min-On Concert Association.

On this ocassion, the Min-On Tango Series presented the “Quintet del Angel”, delivering an exceptional showcase of tango music and dance.

Prior to the start of the performance, Dr. Diaz exchanged greetings with the outgoing president of Min-On, Mr. Kazuto Ito, with whom he had previously collaborated during his tenure as Ambassador of Panama to Japan. Their collaboration featured a musical tour by the Panamanian singer, Patricia Vlieg, commemorating the 500th Anniversary of the Foundation of Panama City in 2019.

Additionally, Dr. Diaz seized the opportunity to meet the new President of Min-On Concert Association, Mr. Koji Yamaguchi, expressing JAPOLAC’s keen interest in collaborating with Min-On Concert Association to further promote and deepen awareness of musical culture of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Established in 1963 through the initiative of the late Daisaku Ikeda, president of Soka Gakkai International, the Min-On Concert Association operates as a nonprofit, independent, and nondenominational organization. Its mission is to foster global exchange in musical culture, aiming to cultivate mutual understanding, respect, and peace among people of diverse races and nationalities.

Celebration of the 60th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Jamaica and Japan

Dr. Ritter Díaz, Director Representative, took part in the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Jamaica and Japan.

During this significant event, Dr. Díaz conveyed his heartfelt congratulations to H.E. Shorna-Kay Richards, Ambassador of Jamaica. The gathering brought together high government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, representatives from the private sector, and distinguished figures from Japan’s social and cultural sphere.

This ceremony also took place amidst the official working visit to Japan by H.E. Kamina Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica.

During her visit, Minister Johnson Smith participated in an Exchange of Notes with Japan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Yoko Kamikawa, through which Japan donated a fisheries and marine research vessel to the government of Jamaica to strengthen capabilities in this area.

Additionally, Minister Johnson Smith announced the participation of Jamaican companies in FOODEX 2024 for the first time, with the aim of expanding commercial relations with Japan. Dr Diaz took the opportunity to extend greetings to Minister Johnson Smith, highlighting the past collaboration of JAPOLAC at the Sensitization Session for FOODEX 2024 organized by Jamaican Manufacturers and Exporters Association in July last year to provide Jamaican exporters with relevant information about FOODEX 2024 and the Japanese market.

It’s noteworthy that the Embassy of Jamaica, an honorary member of JAPOLAC, has collaborated with our association in promoting online academic programs between the University of Technology, Jamaica, and Chiba University.

Working Meeting with the Ambassador of Chile

Dr. Ritter Diaz, the Representative Director of JAPOLAC, recently held a working meeting with His Excellency Ricardo Rojas, the Ambassador of Chile. The purpose of the meeting was to inform Ambassador Rojas of the upcoming Short Online Program (SOP) organized by the Institute of Advanced Studies at the University of Santiago, Chile, specifically designed for students from Chiba University.

Ambassador Rojas expressed his gratitude for the information regarding this innovative program and recognized its potential to raise awareness of Chile in Japan. The Head of the Chilean diplomatic mission also pointed out that initiatives of this nature play an important role in promoting cross-cultural understanding and knowledge exchange between the two nations.

Scheduled to commence in March of this year, the 3-week SOP is poised to provide a practical learning experience for 24 Chiba University students. The program curriculum encompasses various courses, such as an overview of Chile, the processes involved in copper, lithium, and iodine production, an exploration of the thriving winery sector, an introduction to the salmon industry, and an examination of Chile’s forestry practices.

JAPOLAC’s short online programs serve as a valuable conduit for imparting practical knowledge about Latin American and Caribbean countries (LAC) to Japanese university students. The overarching goal is to inspire and motivate these students to visit and study in the countries of the LAC region.

One of the core objectives at JAPOLAC is to actively promote academic and research exchanges between Japanese universities and their counterparts in Latin America and the Caribbean.