Commemorative Message for the 50th Anniversary of the Japan Foundation Awards

The year 2022 marked the 50th anniversary of the Japan Foundation, and 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the Japan Foundation Awards. I extend my warmest congratulations to you for both of these milestones.

When the establishment of the Japan Foundation was announced in 1972, I was responsible for Japan-US relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It was announced that the Japan Foundation would aim to strengthen activities introducing Japanese culture overseas, encourage cultural exchange between Japan and various other countries through such activities, and promote mutual understanding with foreign countries. Up until this point, I have to say that while American cultural introductions were actively going ahead in Japan, activities to introduce Japanese culture were not that proactive in USA. I was responsible for Japan-US relations, so I remember that the establishment of the Japan Foundation gave me great expectations that Japanese cultural introductions would advance in the form of mutual exchange. Looking at the Japan Foundation’s activities after this, I am delighted that it came to actively introduce Japanese culture not just in USA, but in various countries in the Asia-Pacific, and even to other regions around the world. When I was serving as Director-General of UNESCO, I visited 196 countries around the world, and I really felt that these countries had a higher level of interest in Japanese culture than I had imagined. There have been budgetary limitations in recent years, but I hope that these proactive activities will continue.

In this context, I am thrilled that the Japan Foundation Awards, established in 1973, have attracted attention in countries around the world. I now serve as the President of the Africa Society of Japan, which was founded in Japan in 1960, the “Year of Africa.” In 1980, 20 years after the Africa Society’s founding, we were greatly honored to receive the Japan Foundation Special Prize. There are now 54 independent countries in Africa, and the importance of Africa is increasing from a global perspective.

With this background, the Africa Society’s main role is to hold exchange activities between Japan and the countries of Africa, and to promote cultural exchange. We therefore hope to continue receiving support from the Japan Foundation for these activities in the future.

MATSUURA Koichiro
President
The Africa Society of Japan

(Original text in Japanese)

Awards and Special Prizes: Recipients List 1973 - 1995