In this interview for Global Industry magazine, Japan's ambassador to Spain, Takahiro Nakamae, spoke about trade relations between the two countries. Japan was the guest country at the third edition of the Mindtech fair.
How would you define relations with Spain and Galicia?
Spain is a strategic partner for Japan. At a time when the international community is facing major challenges, it is increasingly important for countries that share fundamental values to communicate closely, deepen cooperation and face challenges together.
In addition to the international sphere, the affinity between Japan and Spain is shown on many levels where good relations flow. In the case of Galicia, the Emperor of Japan visited Santiago de Compostela in 1985 as prince and in 2013 as crown prince, helping to strengthen the friendly relations between Japan and Galicia. I hope that the 25th anniversary of the twinning between Kumano Kodo and the Camino de Santiago, which is celebrated this year, will give a new impetus to strengthen our fruitful relations.
The Kumano Kodo Way has often been compared to the Way of St. James. What do they have in common?
Kumano Kodo and the Camino de Santiago are located respectively at the eastern and western end of each continent, and are a haven of peace for many people. Both routes emerged at similar times in history and are the only two spiritual routes to have been declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. The regional governments of Wakayama and Galicia, where the final destination of the pilgrimage is located, signed a twinning agreement in 1998 to strengthen ties of friendship. Over the past 25 years, relations have been strengthened in sectors such as tourism, culture, art, education, etc. In this context of global recovery of tourist movements, Wakayama and Galicia, and, in short, Japan and Spain, must take advantage of this magnificent and internationally valued resource to fully reactivate flows in both directions.
What is the current state of economic relations between Japan and Spain?
In recent years, Spanish-Japanese business agreements have increased in the ICT, railway and energy sectors. On this basis, the leaders of Japan and Spain confirmed at the summit in June last year that they would continue to promote business cooperation. I expect this cooperation to deepen in the renewables sector and digitalisation, as well as in global partnerships, for example in markets in the Americas and North Africa. It is essential to jointly address the major model changes brought about by digitalisation and decarbonisation.
Spain is a leader in offshore wind and Japan has great strengths in digital, so I am confident that we can continue to move forward together, with each party bringing its best capabilities to the table.
What does it mean for Japan to be the guest country of the Mindtech Fair in this third edition?
The metal sector and associated technologies are the basis of every industry. And they are paramount for a country like Japan, whose drive to create things has been the mainstay of its economy. Este año Mindtech se ha centrado en la energía eólica marina, y es especialmente relevante que se haya invitado a participar a empresas japonesas del sector.
Galicia is not only a benchmark in wind energy, but also in the automotive industry, with a large ecosystem that supports both industries. An industrial model that resembles that of Japan. Therefore, I hope that Mindtech will give us the opportunity to collaborate and deepen the economic and business relationship between Japan and Galicia.