On February 13, H.E. Mr. Daisuke Yamamoto, Consul General of Japan in Jeddah, held a reception at his Residence to celebrate the birthday of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan.
The reception was honored by His Highness Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Jalawi, Governor of Jeddah Governorate and a number of Their Highnesses Princess, in the presence of H.E. Mr. Yasunari Morino, Ambassador of Japan to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The reception was attended by H.E. Mr. Farid bin Saad Al-Shehri, Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Makkah Al-Mukarramah Region Branch), officials from the Ministry Branch, officials from governmental and non-governmental entities in Makkah Region, a number of Consuls General and Honorary Consuls accredited in Jeddah, prominent businessmen and others.
At the beginning of the reception, the national anthems of Japan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were played, then His Highness, H.E. Ambassador and H.E. Consul General, with the participation of a number of Consuls General, cut the cake prepared to celebrate this occasion.
The Consul General delivered a speech in which he expressed his sincere gratitude to His Highness for honoring the reception and to Their Highnesses and the invitees for their attendance. He extended his sincere congratulations to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the occasion of the Founding Day, which is one day earlier to His Majesty’s birthdate as well as the tenth anniversary of the accession of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, to the throne in the Kingdom.
Mr. Yamamoto said that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relationships between Japan and the Kingdom, as the establishment of diplomatic relations was approved on June 7, 1955. Throughout this period, the two countries have enjoyed a long history of friendly and cooperative relations based on mutual respect and common interests, and relations between them have become stronger and deeper in various fields, especially in recent years.
His Excellency referred to the activities carried out by the Consulate to strengthen cultural ties between the two countries and within the framework of achieving the cultural goals of “Saudi Vision 2023” through the joint committee “Saudi-Japanese Vision 2030”. Last January, the Consulate held “Hayy Matsuri” Festival for the second time in cooperation with Art Jameel, and intends, in cooperation with Jeddah Historical Development Project, to hold the non-profit “Manga Hokusai Manga” exhibition at baiet Amir Al-Bahr in the historic Jeddah from February 16 to March 8, inviting attendees, especially manga lovers, to visit it. He also invited the guests to visit Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, which will open next April, and expressed his hope to see more Saudi investments in Japan and the expansion of economic activities of Japanese companies in the Kingdom and their participation in infrastructure projects and other projects, especially since the Kingdom will host Riyadh Expo 2030 and the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
His Excellency the Consul General concluded his speech by wishing further development of relations between the two friendly countries and prosperity for the Kingdom under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and the assistance of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
The ceremony was attended by many guests and famous Japanese dishes such as sushi, tempura, yakitori and other dishes were served by the Consul General’s chef, making the occasion a good opportunity to promote Japanese food in Jeddah.
