Dr. Ritter Diaz, Representative Director of the Japan Association for Promotion of Latin America and the Caribbean (JAPOLAC), together with Mrs. Martha Zelayandia, former Ambassador of El Salvador, held a virtual meeting with representatives of Niigata University of Health and Welfare to explain the objectives and activities of the Association.

The Niigata University of Health and Welfare was represented by Dr. Masayoshi Kubo, Director of the International Exchange Center, and Mrs. Noriko Akiho-Toyoda, Assistant Professor of the Faculty of Social Welfare.

During the meeting, Dr. Kubo conveyed the interest of Niigata University of Health and Welfare to expand exchanges with universities and institutions of LAC in the area of caregiving and interprofessional education.

Dr. Diaz expressed his gratitude to Dr. Kubo for the meeting and reiterated the interest of JAPOLAC to cooperate with the Niigata University of Health and Welfare to expand academic ties with LAC universities.

On November 5, Dr. Ritter Díaz, Representative Director of JAPOLAC held a meeting with Mr. Yuichiro Kimoto, President & CEO of Unidos Co., Ltd. (Kyodai), with the purposed of explaining the objectives and activities of the Association.

Dr. Díaz indicated that, since June, the Association began contacts with companies and business associations in Japan and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), aimed at facilitating communication between companies in both regions, giving priority to small and medium-sized enterprises.

President Kimoto explained about the commercial activities of Kyodai, which has contributed for more than 20 years to the introduction of Latin American products in the Japanese market. Kyodai has also positioned itself as a major remittance company to the LAC region, supporting Latin American workers living in Japan.

Dr. Diaz and President Kimoto expressed their interest in exploring ways to collaborate to increase trade between both regions.

On October 19, JAPOLAC, Dr. Ritter Diaz, Representative Director, together with Mr. Hirokazu Yamaguchi, Managing Director, Mr. Ricardo Gonzalez, Commercial Director, and Mr. Ajoy Shinha Roy, Senior Director of the Association, visited Nagai Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. in Gunma Prefecture to learn about Mizubasho Pure, one of the top sparkling sakes of Japan.

Dr. Diaz was received by Mr. Noriyoshi Nagai, President and CEO of Nagai Sake Brewery Co., who guided Dr. Diaz and other directors to a small creek where the water is obtained to make sake. At the creek, Directors of JAPOLAC drank water directly from the stream, feeling the great taste of natural water. After that, Mr. Nagai  made a presentation and tasting of different sakes produced at the brewery.

During the presentation, Dr. Diaz was very impressed by the high quality and exquisite flavor of Nagai sake, which has a great potential to capture the taste of Latin American people.

Dr. Diaz expressed his appreciation for the hospitality of Mr. Nagai and conveyed his interest of promoting sake in Latin America and the Caribbean countries through the network of the Association. Dr. Diaz mentioned that Japanese people greatly appreciates beverages from Latin America such as rum and coffee, therefore, it would be a good gesture of reciprocity to introduce fine sparkling sake to our region

Mr. Nagai also serves as the representative director of the Sparkling Sake (Awa Sake) Association and is engaged in activities to disseminate sake in the world.

One of the objectives of JAPOLAC is the promotion of small and medium companies from Japan and Latin America and the Caribbean to introduce their products in the market of the other.

                            

Dr. Ritter Diaz, Representative Director of JAPOLAC, together with Mrs. Martha Zelayandia, Former Ambassador of El Salvador and Honorary of the Association, participated in a dinner-meeting with Mrs. Hiroko Suzuki, President of the Association Quality of Life (QOL) Foundation to explain about the objectives and activities of JAPOLAC

Mrs. Suzuki also explained about the activities and objectives of QOL, sharing her 15-years’ experience at the helm of QOL in the field of medical doctors exchange between Japan and the world.

Dr. Diaz and Mrs. Suzuki agreed to cooperate to extend medical doctor exchanges to the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) in the near future, and also to explore the possibility of establishing exchanges between Latin American universities and the Niigata University of Health and Welfare.

JAPOLAC aims at the development of practical exchanges between Japan and LAC in the area of health to improve the national health systems as well as the quality of life of LAC population.

On October 5, Dr. Ritter Diaz, Representative Director of JAPOLAC held a meeting with Mr. Andy Bruce, President of the Chamber of Commerce of Chile, Tokyo Chapter, in order to inform about the objectives and activities of the Association.

Dr. Diaz pointed out  that, since June, the Association initiated contacts with companies and business associations in Japan and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) with a view to facilitating communication between companies from both regions, giving priority to small and medium-sized enterprises.

The President of the Chamber of Commerce of Chile, Tokyo Chapter, explained about the activities of the Chamber and  expressed  his best willingness  to  collaborate  with  JAPOLAC, with the purpose of expanding trade between Japan and the  Republic of Chile.