Shinada: Bilateral relationship will be maintained
The first resident Ambassador of Japan to Barbados, Teruhiko Shinada announced that he will do what is necessary to maintain the bilateral relationship between Japan and Barbados.
His promise came during his address at the weekly meeting of the Rotary Club of Barbados South which was held at Accra Beach Hotel and Spa recently. Shinada, who arrived in Barbados in October 2016, told persons present that he was pleased to be the resident ambassador of Japan to Barbados in the very year the relationship turned 50.
“Since my arrival, I have been trying, in my humble capacity, to strengthen the ties between Japan and Barbados,” he said.
The ambassador also revealed that before his departure from Tokyo, he had the opportunity to meet with the Emperor of Japan, Akihito, who expressed his best wishes on the continued promotion of friendly relations between the countries. He noted that the principle intention is to make sure that the people of both countries get closer by having the opportunity to get to experience each others’ cultures. As a result, Shinada revealed that they are preparing a series of cultural events, person-to-person exchange programmes and other events as a celebration of the 50-year long friendship.
“So I am firmly determined to do all in my power to fulfill this mission,” he proclaimed.
Shinada also expressed that the newly established embassy in Barbados, needed the support and co-operation from the Government and citizens in order for his mission to succeed.
The Ambassador continued on and said that the relationship between Barbados and Japan went well beyond the 50 official years of bilateral friendships and explained that over 70 years ago, the war that happened between Japan and the United States of America caused some persons to be transported to the island of Barbados. He said that because of the good treatment that they received in Barbados a booth called the Barbados Association was established in the late 1940s. Unfortunately, he said that the club no longer exists today due to the deaths of the members, but the love and beauty of Barbados was well-known by everyone well before the official beginning of the bilateral relationship between the two countries.