It is my pleasure to be assigned as President of the Japan Foundation (JF) on April 1, 2024. Over my 40-year career in the tourism sector, my job has been to encourage respect and empathy among people through tourism and global communication, and I have worked to promote and expand exchanges between the people of Japan and those of other countries.

As the spread of the COVID-19 virus slows, global travel is rapidly recovering, and visits to Japan are on the rise. Witnessing these events has reaffirmed my conviction that face-to-face exchanges are invaluable.

Today, people around the world have an even broader and deeper interest in Japan—from food and traditional culture to pop culture, all of which are growing in popularity. What may be accepted as common habits, customs, and events in Japan may be viewed by people abroad as innovative, distinctive, and worthy of study. I am reminded once again of the deep potential of Japanese culture. Considering the ever-changing global landscape, however, we must not become complacent because of this current interest. It will become more important than ever to promote sustained mutual understanding and foster friendship through respectful international exchange.

At the same time, we need to explore a greater role for Japanese-language education, which the JF has promoted since its inception as a way to deepen understanding of Japanese culture. Faced with future workforce shortages in the country, the Japanese government is reviewing the Technical Intern Training Program and the Specified Skilled Worker residence status to find the most appropriate way to host workers from abroad. It is expected that more foreign nationals will soon be working in Japan and living as members of Japanese society. Therefore, I strongly believe that it is our significant mission for foreign nationals to enhance Japanese-language education at home and abroad, and keep on learning for intercultural community building, as they make living in Japan. Furthermore, in the evolving context of international relations, Japan is playing an increasingly important role in the use of dialogue to address common global challenges, such as climate change, disaster management, and aging societies. Facing the situation, we are also committed to play major roles to materialize the multilateral dialogue in accordance with diplomatic policy.

Against this backdrop, 2024 is the first year of the “Partnership to Co-create a Future with the Next Generation: WA Project 2.0,” a comprehensive initiative that aims to promote interpersonal exchange between people of the next generation in Japan and ASEAN and to train the future leaders of such exchanges. This project will be thoroughly implemented over the next decade. I will strive not only to create sustainable exchanges with ASEAN countries but also to enrich educational programs for foreign nationals to learn Japanese so that they can work in Japan.

JF was established in 1972. For over half a century, JF as Japan’s one and only institution dedicated to international cultural exchange, has been conducting various programs in all regions of the world. Considering the present global situation described above, I believe that the JF can contribute in more fields and has the potential to expand even further.

In fulfilling JF mission of “cultivating friendship and ties between Japan and the world”, I will work to create valuable international exchange that forms a part of public diplomacy and aligns with the times, drawing on my experience in tourism management, and by embracing a multifaceted and conscientious approach. I am committed to leading the JF and implementing its programs to achieve these ends. I am grateful for your continued guidance and support for our endeavors.