Ambassador’s Speech at the Reception of the 66th Birthday of the Emperor of Japan (10th February 2026)
2026/2/11
Ambassador’s Speech at the Reception of the 66th Birthday of the Emperor of Japan (10th February 2026)
His Excellency President Asif Ali Zardari,
Excellencies,
Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen,
Assalam-o-alaikum and good evening!
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of you for gathering here today.
His Majesty Emperor Naruhito will celebrate his 66th birthday on the 23rd of this month. This marks his 8th birthday since His Majesty’s accession to the throne. I am deeply pleased to be able to celebrate this occasion here in Islamabad, together with His Excellency President Zardari and all the distinguished guests present here today. I extend my heartfelt wishes for the continued good health of His Majesty the Emperor, all the distinguished guests, and your families.
At the outset, I extend my deepest condolences to the victims and their families of the terrorist attack that occurred last Friday at a mosque in Islamabad. I pray for the swift recovery of those injured. Under no circumstances can such terrorist acts be tolerated and the Government of Japan strongly condemns any acts of terrorism. At the same time, we reaffirm our solidarity with the government and people of Pakistan.
As you may be aware, Japan held a general election for the House of Representatives last Sunday, under the leadership of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who became Japan’s first female Prime Minister in October last year. As the result of the election, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party secured more than two thirds of the seats, marking a record in Japan’s constitutional history. With this outcome, Prime Minister Takaichi is expected to lead Japan from a more stable political foundation than before.
On the international realm, it is deeply regrettable that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has continued, while the security environment in the Middle East and Asia has grown increasingly uncertain and unstable. Furthermore, the international rules and order, which have been formed through the profound reflections and lessons drawn from the long-term history of humanity, are shaking. Also, divisions and conflicts among countries and peoples are deepening. Precisely because we live in such times, it is all the more important to uphold the principles of harmony and cooperation and for like-minded countries to join forces to ensure global peace and prosperity. The Government of Japan continues to place high importance on the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) and uphold the rule of law and multilateralism centred on the United Nations. We recognize that Pakistani Government also broadly shares those values. Pakistan continues to be a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council until the end of this year, and shoulders significant responsibilities within the international community. Japan wishes to work with Pakistan to tackle various international challenges and to cooperate towards realizing a better future.
Turning to bilateral relations between Japan and Pakistan, numerous interactions took place at the Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025, held in Japan from April to October last year. This Expo showcased numerous cutting-edge technologies that are both people- and environmentally friendly, deeply impressing over 29 million visitors worldwide. Among these, the Pakistan Pavilion, constructed from pink salt, attracted over 1.8 million visitors and was highly acclaimed, winning two awards, the Bronze Prize in the Exhibition category and the Editors' Choice Award at the Expo’s closing ceremony. Moreover, I believe the Pakistan Pavilion played a meaningful role in sparking interest and a sense of closeness toward Pakistan among many Japanese people.
During the Expo period, a series of high-level exchanges between Japan and Pakistan took place, including official visits to Japan by Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and the Prime Minister’s Special Advisor on Industry and Production, Haroon Akhtar Khan, marking a long-awaited revival of bilateral relations.
This year, we aim to further strengthen bilateral relations, focusing on the following three key areas.
First, expanding and deepening mutual understanding and cooperation through people-to-people interactions between our two countries.
From September to October this year, the Asian Games and Asian Para Games, major international sporting events, will be held in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. This will be a grand event where athletes and officials from 45 Asian countries and regions, including Pakistan, will participate. We hope it will serve as an opportunity to enhance international exchange and mutual understanding through sports. We wish the Pakistani delegation every success and sincerely hope that many people, including high-level leaders from the Pakistani government, will take this opportunity to visit Japan.
Second, strengthening economic ties between our two countries.
Since 1954, for 72 years, the Japanese government has provided Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Pakistan across diverse areas—including infrastructure development, health and sanitation, water supply and sewage, electricity, disaster prevention, and others—to help improve the living standards of the Pakistani people. While large-scale projects funded by yen loans have been suspended since 2017, we are planning to resume them in the near future.
Furthermore, in the field of resource development, we plan to actively promote cooperation based on the principles of mutual respect and cooperation.
We are also taking note of the recent remarkable growth of Pakistan's IT industry. Multiple Japanese companies are working to connect with Pakistani IT talent, and JICA is also implementing technical cooperation projects in Pakistan's IT sector. We are advancing new forms of cooperation, including an AI seminar held last month with National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST) in the field of AI.
Third, we focus on introducing Japanese cuisine.
As you know, the average life expectancy of Japanese people has long been among the highest in the world, and Japanese cuisine is said to be one of the key factors contributing to Japanese people’s longevity. While sushi and tempura have become well-known examples of Japanese cuisine, more people are also developing a fondness for wagyu beef. Appreciating each other’s cuisine could strengthen mutual understanding.
Today, alongside Pakistani cuisine, we are serving some kinds of Japanese dishes prepared with great care by our chefs from my residence. In addition to familiar favourites like sushi and tempura, we have also prepared wagyu beef for the first time. Please make sure to try it today.
At today's reception, we also have displays of traditional Japanese culture such as ikebana and bonsai prepared by the Lahore Floritage Sogetsu Study Group and Bonsai Society, as well as various exhibits made possible through the cooperation of Japanese companies including JICA, Toyota Indus Motors, Suzuki, Honda, Hino, Idemitsu, Sojitz, and Kumon, a Japanese educational service company. Furthermore, we have set up two photo booths where you can take pictures with beautiful Mount Fuji and cherry blossoms in full bloom. Please enjoy all of these until time permits.
Finally, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to His Excellency President Zardari and all distinguished guests for your understanding and consistent support of Japan-Pakistan relations, as well as for your kindness toward the Embassy of Japan. I conclude my remarks by expressing my hope that people-to-people exchanges between Japan and Pakistan will become even more active, and that a cooperative relationship befitting the demands of this new era will be built.
Bohat Shukrya, and Thank you for your kind attention.
(1216 words)
His Excellency President Asif Ali Zardari,
Excellencies,
Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen,
Assalam-o-alaikum and good evening!
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of you for gathering here today.
His Majesty Emperor Naruhito will celebrate his 66th birthday on the 23rd of this month. This marks his 8th birthday since His Majesty’s accession to the throne. I am deeply pleased to be able to celebrate this occasion here in Islamabad, together with His Excellency President Zardari and all the distinguished guests present here today. I extend my heartfelt wishes for the continued good health of His Majesty the Emperor, all the distinguished guests, and your families.
At the outset, I extend my deepest condolences to the victims and their families of the terrorist attack that occurred last Friday at a mosque in Islamabad. I pray for the swift recovery of those injured. Under no circumstances can such terrorist acts be tolerated and the Government of Japan strongly condemns any acts of terrorism. At the same time, we reaffirm our solidarity with the government and people of Pakistan.
As you may be aware, Japan held a general election for the House of Representatives last Sunday, under the leadership of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who became Japan’s first female Prime Minister in October last year. As the result of the election, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party secured more than two thirds of the seats, marking a record in Japan’s constitutional history. With this outcome, Prime Minister Takaichi is expected to lead Japan from a more stable political foundation than before.
On the international realm, it is deeply regrettable that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has continued, while the security environment in the Middle East and Asia has grown increasingly uncertain and unstable. Furthermore, the international rules and order, which have been formed through the profound reflections and lessons drawn from the long-term history of humanity, are shaking. Also, divisions and conflicts among countries and peoples are deepening. Precisely because we live in such times, it is all the more important to uphold the principles of harmony and cooperation and for like-minded countries to join forces to ensure global peace and prosperity. The Government of Japan continues to place high importance on the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) and uphold the rule of law and multilateralism centred on the United Nations. We recognize that Pakistani Government also broadly shares those values. Pakistan continues to be a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council until the end of this year, and shoulders significant responsibilities within the international community. Japan wishes to work with Pakistan to tackle various international challenges and to cooperate towards realizing a better future.
Turning to bilateral relations between Japan and Pakistan, numerous interactions took place at the Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025, held in Japan from April to October last year. This Expo showcased numerous cutting-edge technologies that are both people- and environmentally friendly, deeply impressing over 29 million visitors worldwide. Among these, the Pakistan Pavilion, constructed from pink salt, attracted over 1.8 million visitors and was highly acclaimed, winning two awards, the Bronze Prize in the Exhibition category and the Editors' Choice Award at the Expo’s closing ceremony. Moreover, I believe the Pakistan Pavilion played a meaningful role in sparking interest and a sense of closeness toward Pakistan among many Japanese people.
During the Expo period, a series of high-level exchanges between Japan and Pakistan took place, including official visits to Japan by Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and the Prime Minister’s Special Advisor on Industry and Production, Haroon Akhtar Khan, marking a long-awaited revival of bilateral relations.
This year, we aim to further strengthen bilateral relations, focusing on the following three key areas.
First, expanding and deepening mutual understanding and cooperation through people-to-people interactions between our two countries.
From September to October this year, the Asian Games and Asian Para Games, major international sporting events, will be held in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. This will be a grand event where athletes and officials from 45 Asian countries and regions, including Pakistan, will participate. We hope it will serve as an opportunity to enhance international exchange and mutual understanding through sports. We wish the Pakistani delegation every success and sincerely hope that many people, including high-level leaders from the Pakistani government, will take this opportunity to visit Japan.
Second, strengthening economic ties between our two countries.
Since 1954, for 72 years, the Japanese government has provided Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Pakistan across diverse areas—including infrastructure development, health and sanitation, water supply and sewage, electricity, disaster prevention, and others—to help improve the living standards of the Pakistani people. While large-scale projects funded by yen loans have been suspended since 2017, we are planning to resume them in the near future.
Furthermore, in the field of resource development, we plan to actively promote cooperation based on the principles of mutual respect and cooperation.
We are also taking note of the recent remarkable growth of Pakistan's IT industry. Multiple Japanese companies are working to connect with Pakistani IT talent, and JICA is also implementing technical cooperation projects in Pakistan's IT sector. We are advancing new forms of cooperation, including an AI seminar held last month with National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST) in the field of AI.
Third, we focus on introducing Japanese cuisine.
As you know, the average life expectancy of Japanese people has long been among the highest in the world, and Japanese cuisine is said to be one of the key factors contributing to Japanese people’s longevity. While sushi and tempura have become well-known examples of Japanese cuisine, more people are also developing a fondness for wagyu beef. Appreciating each other’s cuisine could strengthen mutual understanding.
Today, alongside Pakistani cuisine, we are serving some kinds of Japanese dishes prepared with great care by our chefs from my residence. In addition to familiar favourites like sushi and tempura, we have also prepared wagyu beef for the first time. Please make sure to try it today.
At today's reception, we also have displays of traditional Japanese culture such as ikebana and bonsai prepared by the Lahore Floritage Sogetsu Study Group and Bonsai Society, as well as various exhibits made possible through the cooperation of Japanese companies including JICA, Toyota Indus Motors, Suzuki, Honda, Hino, Idemitsu, Sojitz, and Kumon, a Japanese educational service company. Furthermore, we have set up two photo booths where you can take pictures with beautiful Mount Fuji and cherry blossoms in full bloom. Please enjoy all of these until time permits.
Finally, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to His Excellency President Zardari and all distinguished guests for your understanding and consistent support of Japan-Pakistan relations, as well as for your kindness toward the Embassy of Japan. I conclude my remarks by expressing my hope that people-to-people exchanges between Japan and Pakistan will become even more active, and that a cooperative relationship befitting the demands of this new era will be built.
Bohat Shukrya, and Thank you for your kind attention.
(1216 words)