About Us

Ambassador Aiboshi's Greeting

I am honored to assume the post of the Ambassador of Japan to ASEAN. This is the region that has been becoming more and more significant for Japan, and I feel a great responsibility upon receiving this critical duty. With the support from all of you, I would like to carry out the important task of being a representative of the Japanese Government to ASEAN.

From 2008 to 2011, I was posted to Vietnam for about three years. What is worthy of special mention is that, during the year 2010, Vietnam was the chair of ASEAN and a series of meetings and activities related to ASEAN were held throughout Vietnam. It was also the time that the preparations for official establishment of the Japanese Mission to ASEAN were being proceeded. Four years has passed since then, and I am filled with deep emotion that I myself have assumed the post of the Ambassador of Japan to ASEAN.

In 1977, the First ASEAN-Japan Summit Meeting was held and Japan announced the Fukuda Doctrine that aimed at “heart-to-heart” understanding and equal partnership between Japan and ASEAN. Ever since, we have walked together hand-in-hand. During the last year, which marked the 40th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan friendship and cooperation, Prime Minister Abe visited all 10 ASEAN Member States. These visits clearly illustrate that the relationship between ASEAN and Japan has been ever closer and stronger in political and economic areas as well as in the area of cultural and people-to-people exchange. In the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit Meeting held last December, the Vision Statement and its Implementation Plan were adopted, and we confirmed to strengthen ASEAN-Japan cooperation in the fields of “Partners for Peace and Stability”, “Partners for Prosperity”, “Partners for Quality of Life” and “Heart-to-Heart Partners”. I will make sure that there will be steady progress in furthering partnership in these fields.

It is a matter of course that ASEAN is the region of critical importance for Japan. Peace and stability in the region is indispensable for Japan because the vital sea lanes for Japan are located in this region. As a “Proactive Contributor to Peace”, Japan will contribute to peace and stability in the region.

ASEAN is Japan’s second largest trade partner in the world and the largest investment destination in East Asia. ASEAN has the population of more than 600 million, and its remarkable economic growth reached approximately three-fold increase in GDP in the past 10 years. Every year, Japan has been investing in ASEAN region more than double of the volume than that of ten years ago. The number of Japanese people living in this region has almost doubled in the last ten years. Today the production network among the Japanese companies has been established in ASEAN with about 7400 Japanese business entities operating and approximately 150,000 Japanese expatriates living here. In the annual survey to Japanese manufactures inquiring their desirable mid-term investment destinations, more and more ASEAN Member States are receiving higher ranks year by year. In the last year’s survey, nine ASEAN countries are ranked within the top twenty, including Indonesia as the top destination and Thailand as the third.

In the fields of culture and people-to-people exchanges, ASEAN and Japan have been enjoying strong ties. Not only traditional culture such as Sumo wrestling and Wadaiko (Japanese drum) but also Japanese pop culture including animation and fashion are widely popular in ASEAN. Today, more than 13,000 students from ASEAN are studying in Japan and the number will almost double as that of ten years ago. In addition, when large scale tragic natural disasters like earthquake, typhoon, and tsunami occurred, ASEAN and Japan help each other for rescue and reconstruction. In the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred three years ago, ASEAN Member States extended warm support to Japan. When the large scale natural disasters severely hit ASEAN, just like Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines last November, Japan actively offered support both through bilateral channel and through regional and international channels including ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Center).

Aiming at the establishment of ASEAN Community in 2015, ASEAN Member States have been strengthening their cooperation and raising their presence in the international society. The year 2015 is also significant for Japan since it will mark the 70th year after the end of World War II. Japan has been consistently following the path of a democratic and peaceful country. Based on the strong mutual trust nurtured through long-term friendship, Japan, the strategic partner of ASEAN, is expected to proactively support ASEAN’s endeavor to establish ASEAN Community through further collaboration in political, economic, cultural and social areas. I will make my utmost efforts to develop even closer relations and to further promote cooperation here on the front line of ASEAN-Japan diplomatic relations. I wish to have your continuous support and cooperation for this endeavor.

Ambassador Ishikane's Farewell Remarks

After one year and 10 months of tenure as Ambassador of Japan to ASEAN, I have been ordered to return to Japan. It was a shorter term than I had expected, but it was such a precious experience and so delightful that I could meet many people and worked with them for strengthening of ASEAN-Japan relations. I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation for all the support and friendship extended to me both for official duties and for private occasions.

Upon my completion as Ambassador of Japan to ASEAN, I cannot help being convinced that Japan’s foreign policy towards ASEAN should not only be the compilation of bilateral diplomacy with respective ASEAN Member State but also undertake diplomacy with a regional perspective. It is high time that Japan should give serious consideration as to how its relations with ASEAN should be, and how effectively its bilateral diplomacy with each ASEAN Member State and its multilateral diplomacy towards ASEAN can be combined. As a person who has been at the front line of ASEAN diplomacy, I believe it is my last duty as Ambassador of Japan to ASEAN to inform the policy makers in Tokyo of the importance and the necessity of the perspective of regional diplomacy. I would also urge that those people who are involved in the foreign policy towards ASEAN to give consideration on this point. The last year 2013 marked the 40th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation, so there were many events held both in Japan and ASEAN, and the year was particularly full of vigor and fruitful. The climax of the year was the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit held in Tokyo in December, which announced various outcomes including the adoption of Vision Statement for the future of ASEAN-Japan relations and its Implementation Plan. It was my honour that I myself was able to make some contributions to the success of the Commemorative Summit and was of service for the strengthening of ASEAN-Japan relations. I strongly wish that the contents of these outcome documents be steadily implemented and the further strengthening of ASEAN-Japan relations be continued.

There are so many delightful memories during my tenure, but my particular fondness goes to the successful Kick-off Reception of 40th Year of ASEAN-Japan Relations with the presence of Secretary-General of ASEAN H.E. Mr. Le Luong Minh, which was held in Jakarta only a day after the Jakarta flood in January last year, and to the Grand Sumo Tournament in Jakarta and the Sumo Lecture at the ASEAN Secretariat in August last year. The other day, I was given a song entitled “Friendship Forever” made by an Indonesian diplomat and former Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN, H.E. Ambassador Bagas Hapsoro, in commemorating the 40th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan relations. The music was played by his band that included Ms. Shizuka Konno, a member of JAIF Management Team. I was very moved to know the enthusiasm of those people who contribute to the friendship between Japan and ASEAN.

I hope that I will be able to make some contribution to the enhancement of ASEAN-Japan relations in some way even after I return to Tokyo and assume a new post. Let me conclude my farewell remarks by wishing the further development of ASEAN-Japan relations and the excellent achievements by those people who are involved in the work.

Thank you very much.