As part of an ongoing series of discussions held with members of the diplomatic and international business community in Hungary, we had the privilege to conduct an in-depth interview with His Excellency Mr. Masato Otaka, Ambassador of Japan in Hungary.
The interview is included in our portfolio together with the ambassadors of Austria, Brazil, Estonia, India, Italy, and Morocco, Latvia and with the Minister Counselor at the Serbian Embassy in Budapest.
This conversation provided an insightful and comprehensive understanding of various aspects related to bilateral relations, and the business landscape within the Hungarian-Japanese context. We express our sincere gratitude once more to the Ambassador.
Could you briefly summarize Japan’s (role in the region and its) relationship with Hungary?
In the wake of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, cooperation among like-minded countries and Japan-Europe relations are becoming more important than ever, and Japan would like to collaborate with Hungary and European countries, especially in the framework of cooperation between Japan-EU and Japan-NATO, toward upholding and strengthening a free and open international order based on the rule of law. I believe Japan and Hungary agree on the importance of a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific region.
In the realm of Hungary-Japan relations, the year of 2019 is worth mentioning as a historic milestone, commemorating the 150th anniversary of Japan’s signing of the ‘Treaty of Amity and Commerce’ with the Austro-Hungarian monarchy in 1869. In this monumental year marking 150 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Hungary, Her Imperial Highness Princess Kako of Akishino made her first official overseas visit to Austria and Hungary from September 15 to 25 in 2019. In the same year, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó visited Japan, and held a summit meeting and foreign ministers’ meeting with a Japanese counterpart respectively. Moreover, then President of Hungary, János Áder, attended His Majesty Emperor Naruhito’s Enthronement ceremony held in the same year.
High level visits between Japan and Hungary, previously hindered by the global COVID-19 outbreak, have resumed. Recently, in October 2022 and 2023, the Minister of Culture and Innovation, János Csák, visited Japan to attend the STS forum Annual Meeting in Kyoto. Also in December 2022, the Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office, Gergely Gulyás visited Japan and met then Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno and then Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoshimasa Hayashi. In July 2023, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, Péter Szijjártó visited Japan and had meetings with the then Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Yasutoshi Nishimura, the then Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Tetsuro Nomura and the then Minister for Foreign Affairs Hayashi. We are delighted to witness the frequent visits of Hungarian dignitaries to Japan, a proof of the strong and positive relations between Japan and Hungary. From Japan’s side, in August this year Her Imperial Highness Princess Tomohito of Mikasa visited Hungary as Ambassador to Judo to attend the world Judo masters in Budapest.
Hungarians trace their origins to the East, before migrating to the Carpathian Basin, and even now share certain similarities with Japan, an East Asian nation. We therefore feel close to each other and are able to understand each other. For instance, Hungary uniquely shares the Eastern name order with Japan, where the order of family name and given name are used in the same way. Additionally, two countries share an appreciation for hot springs.
With regard to the economic relation, approximately 180 Japanese companies, mainly in the manufacturing sector, have been operating in Hungary since shortly after the transition to capitalism until now, playing significant role in the development of Hungary’s economy.
Could you elaborate on the diplomatic engagements between the two countries and the common foreign policy goals?
Regarding Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, Japan and Hungary share the view that Russia’s aggression is illegal and unjustifiable. It is important for the international community to unite in maintaining strict sanctions against Russia and strong support for Ukraine, and to demonstrate that Russia’s actions will bear consequences on the aggression. Japan would like to work together with Hungary to maintain and strengthen the free and open international order based on the rule of law.
It is also worth mentioning that Japan, in cooperation with Hungary, has provided assistance to people displaced from Ukraine’s neighbouring countries, including Hungary through international organisations such as UNHCR, IOM and IFRC, as well as various NGOs.
Furthermore, we expect Ukraine and Hungary to strengthen and deepen their cooperation and establish more solid and stronger relations that will undoubtedly contribute to the mutual prosperity and well-being of the two countries. Meanwhile, Japan has provided assistance to people displaced from Ukraine. In total, Japan has announced humanitarian assistance to Ukraine worth $ 7.6billion.
With regard to the regional situation in Asia, we would continue to work together to address North Korea including the nuclear and missile issues as well as the abductions’ issue.
On the international arena, Japan and Hungary intend to deepen cooperation in strengthening the functions of the UN as a whole, including the Security Council reform.
Talking about bilateral relations, what are the main sectors of cooperation between the two countries?
Many prominent Japanese companies, e.g., the Magyar Suzuki Corporation, and many representative offices have settled in Hungary since the change of the regime. Today, seven of the Japanese companies operating in Hungary have concluded strategic cooperation agreements with the Hungarian government. Promoting relations in the economic field is the vital area of bilateral cooperation.
I should also mention that cultural exchange is another important area of our cooperation. Japan has provided assets of equipment and human resource development programs to the Liszt Academy of Music, the State Opera House and the Hungarian National Museum through cultural grant assistance since the 1990s. Today there are many Japanese students studying at the Liszt Academy, many Japanese musicians pursue their careers in Hungary, and Hungarian musicians actively perform in Japan, too.
Could you elaborate on how Japan and Hungary cooperate in the field of culture, science and education?
The Japan Foundation, the only public institution in Japan dedicated to carrying out comprehensive international cultural exchange programs, opened an office in Budapest in 1991 and covers 13 countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Through the Japan Foundation, cultural exchanges between the two countries have become considerably more active. Moreover, in 2019, the bilateral cultural exchange has evolved into a higher level with the opening of the Hungarian Cultural Center in Tokyo. Furthermore, the “House of Music” designed by Japanese architect Sousuke Fujimoto, which was opened in 2022, is another symbol of our close relationship and will hopefully serve as a venue for many Japanese artists.
In the fields of science and technology, Japan and Hungary signed and exchanged notes concerning on Cooperation in the field of Science and Technology in May 1979. In addition, a total of 13 Intergovernmental Consultation on Cooperation in the field of Science and Technology have been held so far, and the 13th bilateral consultation was held in Budapest in February this year, for the first time in eight years. During the consultation, both parties discussed the progress of science, technology, and innovation policies in both countries, as well as the current status and future direction of science and technology cooperation activities between the two countries. They also discussed potential areas for future cooperation. They are also in contact with research facilities in Budapest and ELI-ALPS, a laser research institute in Szeged.
Japan also cooperates with the V4 countries in the field of science and technology within the framework of the “V4+Japan”. In 2021, a second phase of joint projects was launched on the theme of advanced materials, and numerous applications have been received.
In the field of education, currently about 600 Japanese students pursue their studies in Hungary, among whom medical science and music are the most popular fields. The Japanese government accepts Hungarian students widely, with the nearly 500 scholarship-students who studied in Japan to date. In recent years, the Memorandum of Cooperation on Hungarian Government Scholarships was signed between the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, moreover the Memorandum of Cooperation on Academic Exchanges was also signed between Josai University Educational Corporation and the Department for Hungarian Studies and International Relations in Education of the Foreign and Trade Ministry.
What are the main regional cooperation programmes, in which the two countries jointly participate in?
Regarding trade between Japan and the EU, the Japan-EU EPA (Economic Partnership Agreement) leads the establishment of free and fair rules and promotes trade liberalization. As a member of the EU, Hungary also participates in the agreement.
During the visits of the then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to the Czech Republic and Poland in August 2003 and the visit of the Prime Minister of Hungary to Japan in October 2004, Japan and the V4 (Visegrád group) countries agreed to promote “V4+Japan” dialogue and cooperation. Japan and the V4 countries have held several summits, foreign ministers’ meetings, and policy dialogues on a wide range of matters, including security, climate change, economic cooperation, and have promoted “V4+Japan” cooperation in areas such as tourism, economic and investment promotion, economic cooperation, and assistance in the Western Balkans.
Japan has been paying attention to the Three Seas Initiative(3SI), which is aimed to develop energy, transportation, and digital infrastructure linking North and South Europe, with a focus on Central and Eastern Europe. In September, Prime Minister Kishida issued a video message on the occasion of the “Three Seas Initiative Summit 2023”. Prime Minister Kishida expressed support for the 3SI initiative, pointing out the importance of infrastructure development and noting that the Japanese Government will play an active role in encouraging more Japanese companies to participate in this initiative. Moreover, he also expressed Japan’s intention to continue its support for Ukraine and its neighbouring countries, to stop Russian aggression against Ukraine as soon as possible, and to work towards achieving a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
What are the institutions supporting business development between the two countries (business clubs, trade agencies, governmental offices)?
The Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Hungary conducts a wide range of activities as a network of Japanese companies, Japanese-affiliated companies and institutions based in Hungary, as well as corporations and organizations with a connection to Japan. The association has a membership of about 50 Japanese companies and is involved in networking among member companies and providing policy proposals to the Hungarian government.
In addition, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) offers support to Japanese companies considering investments in Hungary and companies that have already settled in Hungary. The Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA) has been assisting Japanese companies, including providing advice and support for obtaining necessary permits and other matters.
What do you anticipate for the future?
Japan and Hungary have always been close friends. These cordial relations have been built not only by our governments, but also by the goodwill and steady efforts of many people in the private sector, and many companies are also seeking to strengthen their business partnerships. The relations between our countries have the potential for further development, and the Embassy would like to support them as much as possible.
In this regard, one of the challenges is that the number of Japanese language courses in Hungary is not increasing despite the strong interest in Japanese culture and the need for language education. In the future, we will need to make efforts to expand and further develop Japanese language education in Hungary.
Also, there are so many talented artists who connect the two countries. Last year, the Kunsthalle held an exhibition of sculptor Nándor Wagner, who played a role of the bridge between Hungary and Japan. By encouraging and supporting the talented artists, we would like to promote our cultural exchanges to further develop bilateral relations. I have observed that there is a strong interest towards Japan in various cultural fields in Hungary. For example, Japanese bonsai trees are very popular in Hungary, and there are quite a few Japanese gardens, including the latest one in Székesfehérvár.
Furthermore, we hope to attract more Hungarian tourists into Japan. Japan is full of attractions such as delicious foods, beautiful nature and unique culture. Japan will have a booth at the International Tourism Exhibition in Hungary in February 2024, alike to in 2023, to promote Japan.
The number of Japanese restaurants in Hungary has been steadily increasing, and we feel that Japanese food and sake are becoming more and more popular. In order to popularize Japanese food and sake in Hungary, we would like to actively organize various events.
Various international events are scheduled to take place in Japan from 2025 onwards. From April to October 2025, Japan will host “Expo 2050 Osaka, Kansai, Japan” where Hungary will participate with its own pavillion. Also, this year’s World Athletics was held in Budapest, and the next one will be held in Tokyo in 2025. In addition, the Horticulture Expo will be held in Yokohama in 2027.
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