The Diplomat
The Ambassador of Japan, Kenji Hiramatsu, paid an official visit to Galicia this week, during which he discussed tourism and cultural exchange with this Autonomous Community.
The visit began on July 25, Galicia Day, with his attendance at the solemn mass for the feast of St. James the Apostle, which was attended by the King and Queen of Spain, and the presentation of the Medal of Galicia, which was also attended by the King, the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and the President of the Xunta de Galicia, Alberto Núñez Feijóo. The Medal was awarded to the members of the Galician vaccination mechanism against COVID-19.
The following day, Ambassador Hiramatsu held a meeting with Núñez Feijóo, with whom he discussed, among other issues, the promotion of tourism based on the exchange between the respective pilgrimage routes: the Way of St. James, the Kumano Way (the “Japanese Way of St. James”, twinned with the Jacobean Way since 1998 and which, like the Galician Way, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the Shikoku Way (which runs through 88 Buddhist temples on the island of Shikoku). Likewise, the ambassador and the president discussed collaboration in the industrial field and the promotion of Japanese culture and committed to concrete areas of collaboration between Japan and Galicia, according to the Embassy.
On July 27, Hiramatsu held a meeting with the mayor of Santiago de Compostela, Xosé Antonio Sánchez, with whom he discussed the promotion of tourism, the exchange with Japanese municipalities and the promotion of Japanese language teaching and Japanese culture, and visited the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, in which the Japanese company Sojitz Corporation contributes capital.
The following day, the ambassador met with the rector of the University of Vigo, Manuel Joaquín Reigosa, and with the mayor of Vigo, Abel Caballero, with whom he discussed cooperation between the education and business sectors, the promotion of tourism, the promotion of industrial collaboration, the strengthening of business relations, the dissemination of Japanese language and culture, and the promotion of academic exchange.
