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.

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.

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.

On October 10, JAPOLAC hosted a Seafood Workshop at Yaizu Fisheries High School in Shizuoka City. This collaborative effort involved the active participation of the Department of Food Science at the school.

The primary objective of this culinary workshop was to introduce students to the art of preparing selected seafood dishes from the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region.

Under the expert guidance of Mrs. Yudelka Salvador, from Judy’s Kitchen, students enthusiastically prepared a range of delicious dishes, including shrimp and avocado salad, seafood soup, and stewed fish with rice.

Yaizu Fisheries High School distinguishes itself as an educational institution with a unique curriculum that combines general education with specialized subjects deeply rooted in fisheries and marine science. Here, students have the opportunity to immerse themselves in hands-on experiences related to aquaculture, marine biology, and the intricacies of seafood processing.

This collaboration between JAPOLAC and Yaizu Fisheries High School serves as an invaluable opportunity to broaden Japanese students’ awareness of the rich and diverse seafood gastronomy originating from Latin America and the Caribbean. The workshop also served to foster cross-cultural understanding, aligning with JAPOLAC’s mission to promote various aspects of the countries of LAC region.

On October 5, Dr. Ritter Diaz delivered a lecture on Japan’s Foreign Policy in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to an audience of over 70 members of the Silver Daigaku Kai, an educational organization comprising senior Japanese citizens in the Meguro district of Tokyo.

Dr. Diaz provided an in-depth overview of the current situation in Latin American and Caribbean countries. He explained the guiding principles of Japan’s foreign policy in the region, known as “JUNTOS” (TOGETHER), which is aimed at working together to advance economic prosperity, joining efforts in international leadership to address global challenges, and fostering people-to-people exchanges.

During the lecture, Dr. Diaz cited specific examples of Japan’s international cooperation, including initiatives related to biodiversity management and conservation in countries belonging to the Central American Integration System (SICA in Spanish), as well as the financing and construction of a monorail using Japanese technology in Panama.

In the economic realm, Dr. Diaz highlighted various economic partnership agreements, tax treaties, and investment agreements that have been established between Japan and several countries in the region.

The presentation concluded with an examination of the various challenges faced by LAC countries. These challenges encompass issues such as inequality and poverty, the ongoing efforts to combat corruption and drug trafficking, and the immigration crisis, which has been exacerbated by the severe economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine.