Japan’s new de facto ambassador to Taiwan said that one of the main objectives during his tenure would be to travel around Taiwan and better understand its diversity.
Kazuyuki Katayama, chief representative of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association’s Taipei Office, made the comment during a 90-second video clip posted to the office’s Facebook page yesterday.
The office represents Tokyo’s interests in Taiwan in the absence of official diplomatic ties.
Photo: Screen grab from the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association’s Facebook page
During the clip, Katayama introduced himself as a 63-year-old Japanese diplomat who loves “every kind of Taiwanese food.”
He said he has visited Taiwan five times, most recently in 2006
Katayama replaced Hiroyasu Izumi, who left in early November after serving for four years in Taipei.
In a greeting message posted online by the office on Friday, Katayama said he has worked in Japan’s foreign ministry for more than 40 years, adding that his most recent post was Japanese ambassador to Peru, after earlier stints in China, the US, Belgium and Malaysia.
“I feel very fortunate and happy to have the opportunity to be able to work in Taiwan, which is one of the most pro-Japan places on Earth and has a close and deep relationship with Japan,” he said.
He also said that his master’s thesis at Harvard was a study of Taiwan’s democratization.
“Although that was more than 35 years ago, I am filled with deep emotion at finding myself assigned to work in Taiwan,” Katayama said.
He said his three main goals are “protecting the safety of Japanese residents and tourists in Taiwan, while promoting the economic activities of Japanese businesses; directly interacting with as many Taiwanese as possible and increasing ‘fans of Japan’; and learning more about the society, culture and people of Taiwan to gain a deeper and broader understanding.”
Taipei and Kaohsiung have extended an open invitation to Japanese pop star Ayumi Hamasaki after Chinese authorities abruptly canceled her scheduled concert in Shanghai. Hamasaki, 47, had been slated to perform on Saturday before organizers pulled the show at the last minute, citing “force majeure,” a move widely viewed as retaliation for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent remark that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could draw a military response from Tokyo. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) yesterday said the city “very much welcomes” Hamasaki’s return and would continue to “surprise” her. Hamasaki, who has a large global fan base, including
‘REGRETTABLE’: Travelers reported that Seoul’s online arrival card system lists Taiwan as ‘China (Taiwan),’ the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday urged South Korea to correct the way Taiwan is listed in its newly launched e-Arrival card system, saying the current designation downgrades the nation’s status. South Korea rolled out the online system on Feb. 24 to gradually replace paper arrival cards, which it plans to phase out by next year. Travelers must complete the electronic form up to 72 hours before entering the country. The ministry said it has received multiple complaints from Taiwanese travelers saying that the system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in dropdown menus for both “place of departure” and “next
Starting next month, people who signed up for the TPass 2.0 program can receive a 15 percent rebate for trips on mid to long-distance freeway buses or on buses headed to the east coast twice every month, the Highway Bureau said. Bureau Director-General Lin Fu-shan (林福山) said the government started TPass 2.0 to offer rebates to frequent riders of public transportation, or people who use city buses, highway buses, trains or MRTs at least 11 times per month. As of Nov. 12, 265,000 people have registered for TPass 2.0, and about 16.56 million trips between February and September qualified for
HOW RUDE: Joe Biden’s Indo-Pacific defense chief condemned China’s response to Takaichi’s remarks as inappropriate and heavy-handed, while praising Japan’s nerve A former US defense official under former US president Joe Biden has voiced support for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for her remarks suggesting that Japan could help defend Taiwan, while describing Beijing’s response as “inappropriate.” Ely Ratner, who served as assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs from 2021 to this year, said in a CNA interview that Takaichi’s comments on Taiwan simply reflected Japan’s position and stance on Taiwan. On Nov. 7, the Japanese prime minister commented in a parliamentary session that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could constitute “a situation threatening Japan’s survival” that could trigger a military
RSS