"But they're happy to know that 'hey, after all, those ambassadors are good humans just like us. Under diplomatic circumstances they may be dictated by strict protocol but behind the facade they're a nice bunch of guys who love to sing songs and crack jokes'," Otsuka said.
With Bjoern Ulvaeus, the singer of legendary Swedish disco group ABBA, as his neighbor in Stockholm's posh neighborhood of Djursholm, Japan's top envoy to Sweden is well-placed to be a singing ambassador.
The group has even invited Bjoern to a dinner, where they sang ABBA's hit Chiquitita. "But Bjoern didn't join in. I think he hummed along."
Otsuka will soon be leaving Sweden to return to Japan and retire from the foreign service. But Stockholm's Singing Ambassadors will carry on.
"And some of our members have moved to Cairo and started a new group there," he said, smiling at the thought of his idea now spreading around the world.
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