Remarks by Ambassador Yoshihiko Kamo at the Reception in Celebration of the 80th
Birthday of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan
November 26, 2013, Abu Dhabi
His Excellency Dr. Hadef bin Jua’an Al Dhaheri,
Minister of Justice,
His Excellency Dr. Tariq Ahmed Ibrahim Al Hidan,
Assistant Minister for International Organization, Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good Evening! It is my honor to welcome you to Japan’s National Day Reception.
Japan’s National Day is held each year in celebration of the birthday of His Majesty
the Emperor of Japan. His Majesty will turn 80 on December 23rd, 2013. He is our
constitutional monarch and the symbol of Japan and the Japanese people. His
longevity and that of his family, arguably the longest blood line in existence on
earth that has lasted over the past 1,600 years, is the source of our pride and anchor
to our identity.
Japan, being an old country, our partnership with the UAE is rather new. But we
take pride in the wonderful relationships of trust and friendship with the UAE
that we have developed in a relatively short period of time. Japan is one of the first
five countries to recognize the UAE when it was founded in 1971. Since then Japan
has been enjoying friendly and mutually beneficial relations with the UAE. She
has been consistently the largest buyer of UAE’s crude oil and even now 60% of
UAE crude is exported to Japan.
Did you know that Japan has made a unique contribution to the UAE in her
formative years? Today everybody admires Abu Dhabi as a clean, safe and
functioning city. But nobody knows who designed the city. The credit should go to
Mr. Katsuhiko Takahashi, Japanese architect who played a principal role in
drawing the Master Plan of Abu Dhabi under the close guidance of Sheikh Zayed in
the 1960s. His Master Plan transformed once a small fishing village into the most
livable city in the world today. Sheikh Zayed got the right man for the job.
You may be surprised to hear that Sheikh Zayed made much of the Japanese
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technocrat in building his nation. Back then Japan could be his unsettling
adversary as she wiped out the pearl fishing industry in the Emirates with her
new invention of cultured pearls. But he was incredibly open-minded and forward
looking. He was more interested in learning from the Japanese wisdom
crystallized in cultured pearls than grudging over the other’s success. He was
interested in importing the techniques of culturing pearls from Japan. But he
never did that as it was discovered that his Emirate of Abu Dhabi was sitting on
the huge reserves of even more precious “black pearls”.
Abu Dhabi can be called a man-made green paradise. Undoubtedly the treed
streets and fields of Abu Dhabi is one of the most impressive achievements in the
20th century. The passion of Sheikh Zayed for planting trees echoed in the heart of
Mr. Shigeyasu Tamaei, who came to Um Al Quwain in 1980 as fishery expert of the
Japan International Cooperation Agency. He observed the local marine eco-system
closely by making numerous site trips and found out that planting mangrove trees
in the shallow water was the best way to grow fish stock in the local environment.
This drove him to devote himself to growing mangrove. Sheikh Zayed had an
unlikely collaborator for his green revolution campaign. Mr. Tamaei’s 30 year long
untiring work in the UAE resulted in a swath of beautiful mangrove forests along
the sandy shores of Umm Al Quwain and Abu Dhabi.
I have just made a brief introduction of the two Japanese pioneers who left legacies
in the UAE for their dedication and professionalism. Their DNA is passed down to
Japanese companies operating here in Abu Dhabi today.
The Abu Dhabi Oil Company of Japan has been engaged in planting mangrove
trees as one of their CSR activities over the past 30 years. Mubarras Island, where
they produce oil, now looks much greener and attracts fish and birds. Their
afforestation program is highly appreciated by the ADNOC and won their Ecology
Award several times. They are committed to implementing their afforestation
program for the next 30 years. I wish they could turn the island into an
eco-tourism destination, rich in nature and wild life, let alone petroleum.
The Japan Oil Development Company is bridging the UAE and Japan in a very
Japanese way. They have been very active in their multiple CSR programs ranging
from falcon hunting to tea ceremony. It is widely known that falcon hunting is the
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proud tradition of the UAE. JODCO brings Japanese falcon handlers to ADIHEX
each year to demonstrate their skills and techniques to their Emirati counterparts
and guests. Falcon hunting was once popular among prominent Samurais in the
feudal Japan. It now serves as a fast lane in bringing us closer. It is amusing that
falcon hunting can so effortlessly connect the seemingly distant cultures and
peoples of the UAE and Japan.
The Bunduq Company of Japan is promoting an ecology-oriented CSR program
of ”Flower Education.” It aims to enhance the awareness of cherishing nature and
the environment and encourages us to act accordingly at schools and work-places.
This program tells us that even a small thing like caring for flowers will make a
difference in the enjoyment of life.
What I have said today is one of Abu Dhabi’s best secrets. I hope it somehow puts
us in perspective and illustrates what our national characteristic is like. Japan has
been trying to be a decent and dependable partner with the UAE. And we have
come this far. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Abu Dhabi this May.
Together with his Abu Dhabi host His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin
Zayed, he opened a new chapter of the bilateral relations of the UAE and Japan.
We look forward to further strengthening our vital relations of trust and mutual
benefit in business, education, medical services, culture, tourism, people to people
exchange and many more.
Last but certainly not least, I make a point of mentioning the cordial ties existing
between the Royal and Imperial Families of Abu Dhabi and Japan. His Highness
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, the then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and the current
President of the UAE, went to Japan to open the Abu Dhabi Pavilion at the Osaka
Expo 1970. He met with the then Japan’s Crown Prince who is the current
Emperor of Japan there. 20 years later Sheikh Zayed made a state visit to Japan
and was received by His Majesty the Emperor of Japan. His Highness General
Sheikh Mohamed is a regular visitor to Japan. Last time he was there in 2007, He
was received by His Majesty the Emperor of Japan and met with the Crown Prince
of Japan. Likewise, the Crown Prince and Princess of Japan visited Abu Dhabi in
1995 and met with His Highness Sheikh Khalifa, the then Crown Prince of Abu
Dhabi. It is truly gratifying that the Royal and Imperial Families of the UAE and
Japan have deepened their ties of friendship and mutual respect through these
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visits. May our Royal and Imperial Families continue to prosper! May Dubai’s bid
for hosting the Expo 2020, 50 years after Osaka, prevail in Paris tomorrow!
Thank you.
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