Courtesy Visit to Mr. Kiyoshi Kimura, Honorary Director of JAPOLAC
On July 15, representatives of the Japan Association for the Promotion of Latin America and the Caribbean (JAPOLAC) paid a courtesy visit to Mr. Kiyoshi Kimura, President of Kiyomura Corporation and Honorary Director of JAPOLAC, to provide an update on the Association’s recent activities and its future initiatives.
Representing JAPOLAC were Dr. Ritter Díaz, Representative Director; Mr. Ajoy Sinha Roy, Senior Director; Mr. Fredy Armijos, Director for Business Promotion; and Ms. Sandra Takayama, Cultural Event Advisor.
Dr. Díaz expressed the Association’s sincere appreciation for Mr. Kimura’s longstanding support as Honorary Director and reiterated his congratulations on Mr. Kimura’s recent appointment as Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Morocco in Chiba Prefecture, as well as on Kiyomura Corporation’s Guinness World Record for purchasing the most expensive bluefin tuna ever sold at auction at Tokyo’s Toyosu Fish Market. Dr. Díaz noted that both achievements reflect Mr. Kimura’s international reputation and his outstanding contribution to promoting Japanese cuisine and strengthening Japan’s international ties.
Dr. Díaz then presented an overview of JAPOLAC’s principal accomplishments over the past two years. Among the highlights were the successful organization of the First Ecuador Festival in Japan, the expansion of academic cooperation through the Diplomatic Lecture Series at Chiba University, and the implementation of collaborative online programs between Chiba University and partner institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean, including the University of Technology, Jamaica, the Technological University of Panama, and the University of Santiago, Chile.
He also reported on JAPOLAC’s efforts to promote premium Latin American products in Japan, including cacao and superfood-based snacks, as well as the development of new tourism cooperation initiatives aimed at strengthening people-to-people exchanges between Japan and Latin America and the Caribbean.
In addition, Dr. Díaz outlined the Association’s institutional strengthening efforts, including the appointment of new directors, and explained the diplomatic briefing program designed for ambassadors of Latin American and Caribbean countries accredited to Japan.
Looking ahead, he mentioned JAPOLAC’s plans to organize a series of lectures on Japan for ambassadors from Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as the future Latin America and Caribbean Festival, which would include the participation of the embassies of the region.
The meeting concluded in a warm and constructive atmosphere, reaffirming the strong friendship between Mr. Kimura and JAPOLAC and their shared commitment to further strengthening the longstanding ties between Japan and Latin America and the Caribbean.