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.

On October 4, Dr. Ritter Díaz, Representative Director of JAPOLAC, held a meeting with Mr. Fernando Albareda, Commercial Counselor of PromPeru, with the purpose of explaining the activities and objectives of the Association and explore ways to collaborate with PromPeru in the area of business facilitation between Japan and the Republic of Peru.

The Commercial Counselor expressed his thankfulness for the presentation of JAPOLAC and expressed his interest to collaborate with the Association to support the work of commercial promotion of PromPeru in Japan.

Dr. Díaz pointed out that PromPeru will be an important channel of commercial communication to identify Peruvian companies with the capacity and quality to export to the demanding Japanese market.

PromPeru is Peru’s government agency dedicated to the promotion of exports, investments, tourism and the country’s image.

On September 30, 2021, members and directors of JAPOLAC participated in the opening of the new office of JAPOLAC, located near the old Tsukiji market, in the district of Chuo, Tokyo.

In line with the new digital era, the new office is equipped with a room and large screen to conduct meetings online within and outside Japan.

Dr. Ritter Diaz, Representative Director of JAPOLAC expressed his thankfulness to members and directors for their support, pointing out that the new office will function as an important point of meeting and communication between Japan and the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.