Message from Ambassador (April 2017)
2017/4/1
Welcome to our website!
It has been two years since I arrived at Kingston in April 2015 as Ambassador of Japan to Jamaica. To my delight, the relationship between Japan and Jamaica has been strengthened and expanded into wider areas of partnership during these two years.
Looking back over the past one year, most notably, the Honourable Kamina Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Jamaica participated in the World Assembly for Women: WAW!2016 held in Tokyo last December. During that time, Minister Johnson Smith also had a meeting with Mr. Fumio Kishida, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Japan for the first time. Both Ministers re-affirmed to steadily follow up on the “Joint Statement on Enhancing the Partnership between Japan and Jamaica (J-J Partnership)”, which was announced in Jamaica on September 30, 2015 by Japan and Jamaica during the visit by Mr. Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan.
As for the field of economic cooperation between the two countries, the project for Japan-Caribbean Climate Change Partnership, which is aiming at boosting the region’s capacity to overcome its vulnerabilities to natural disasters, started officially during June 2016 here in Jamaica collaboratively with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This project will also be implemented in seven (7) other countries in the region.
In addition, the Embassy of Japan has already signed the contracts for seven (7) projects to provide funds under the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects. Out of those projects, six (6) aim to improve the learning environment through adding new classrooms and renovating school facilities.
I am very pleased to note that our relationship is being expanded into other areas including cultural and people to people exchanges. The sisterhood relationship between Tottori prefecture in Japan and Westmoreland Parish is developing in a steady way with a range of dialogues and exchanges of people taking place between them since they signed the sisterhood agreement in March 2016. In the sport area, a group of small independent factories in Tokyo’s Ota Ward has already decided to donate bobsleighs under the Shitamachi Bobsleigh project to help the Jamaican national team in its bid to secure a spot and compete in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, the Republic of Korea. Expectations are running high for the Jamaican Team’s appearances at the 2018 Winter Games which is expected to create a sensation with Japan-made sled just like the effect “Cool Runnings” had at their debut.
As seen from the above, the relationship named “J-J Partnership” is growing steadily on the strong foundation of mutual friendship and trust between our two peoples. The Embassy of Japan will continue to do our utmost efforts in order to further enhance our relationship in line with the three pillars policy towards CARICOM States including Jamaica. We would appreciate it if you could support and cooperate with us in the days ahead.
April 2017
Masanori Nakano
Ambassador of Japan to Jamaica, Belize and the Bahamas
(left) Signing Ceremony by Shitamachi Bobsleigh and Jamaica Bobsleigh Federation
(center) The Grant Contract Signing Ceremony of Grassroots Human Security Project
(right) Tottori's "Shan-Shan Umbrella Dance" with Jamaican participants
It has been two years since I arrived at Kingston in April 2015 as Ambassador of Japan to Jamaica. To my delight, the relationship between Japan and Jamaica has been strengthened and expanded into wider areas of partnership during these two years.
Looking back over the past one year, most notably, the Honourable Kamina Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Jamaica participated in the World Assembly for Women: WAW!2016 held in Tokyo last December. During that time, Minister Johnson Smith also had a meeting with Mr. Fumio Kishida, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Japan for the first time. Both Ministers re-affirmed to steadily follow up on the “Joint Statement on Enhancing the Partnership between Japan and Jamaica (J-J Partnership)”, which was announced in Jamaica on September 30, 2015 by Japan and Jamaica during the visit by Mr. Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan.
As for the field of economic cooperation between the two countries, the project for Japan-Caribbean Climate Change Partnership, which is aiming at boosting the region’s capacity to overcome its vulnerabilities to natural disasters, started officially during June 2016 here in Jamaica collaboratively with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This project will also be implemented in seven (7) other countries in the region.
In addition, the Embassy of Japan has already signed the contracts for seven (7) projects to provide funds under the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects. Out of those projects, six (6) aim to improve the learning environment through adding new classrooms and renovating school facilities.
I am very pleased to note that our relationship is being expanded into other areas including cultural and people to people exchanges. The sisterhood relationship between Tottori prefecture in Japan and Westmoreland Parish is developing in a steady way with a range of dialogues and exchanges of people taking place between them since they signed the sisterhood agreement in March 2016. In the sport area, a group of small independent factories in Tokyo’s Ota Ward has already decided to donate bobsleighs under the Shitamachi Bobsleigh project to help the Jamaican national team in its bid to secure a spot and compete in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, the Republic of Korea. Expectations are running high for the Jamaican Team’s appearances at the 2018 Winter Games which is expected to create a sensation with Japan-made sled just like the effect “Cool Runnings” had at their debut.
As seen from the above, the relationship named “J-J Partnership” is growing steadily on the strong foundation of mutual friendship and trust between our two peoples. The Embassy of Japan will continue to do our utmost efforts in order to further enhance our relationship in line with the three pillars policy towards CARICOM States including Jamaica. We would appreciate it if you could support and cooperate with us in the days ahead.
April 2017
Masanori Nakano
Ambassador of Japan to Jamaica, Belize and the Bahamas
(left) Signing Ceremony by Shitamachi Bobsleigh and Jamaica Bobsleigh Federation
(center) The Grant Contract Signing Ceremony of Grassroots Human Security Project
(right) Tottori's "Shan-Shan Umbrella Dance" with Jamaican participants