Tokyo meets the world: Belgium

Japan is my first post in Asia; I was previously posted in Africa, so it’s quite different. But before coming to Japan as ambassador, I had the opportunity to accompany our minister of foreign affairs on an official visit, so I got a taste of the country. It was a good taste: I decided to apply for the ambassadorship and got it.

During my time here, I’ve realised how different the countryside is from city life. I hadn’t anticipated that difference, and it’s new for me. The countryside is enriching and nice to discover. 

Another thing I find extraordinary in Japan is that wherever you go, you have access to free and clean public toilets. It’s very comfortable!

Yes, of course I travel professionally, but also with my family whenever I have the time. I recently visited the Izu peninsula, which I really think is beautiful with its small, winding roads that go through forests with vivid greenery. I enjoy nature, so being here in Tokyo I like to escape and reconnect with nature. Lake Chuzenji close to Nikko is beautiful too. I really liked Kyushu, where I travelled all the way to Kagoshima with my family, and I love Kyoto with its small pedestrian streets and historical sites.

It’s difficult to name only a few, but as I said I like nature very much and enjoy going for walks among the greenery. I like the forest around Meiji Shrine, it’s so quiet and quite impressive considering it’s in the middle of a huge city. I also like walking around the Imperial Palace and Akasaka Palace, and the small streets that have a lot of character, like in Shibamata, Shimokitazawa or Yanaka.

I was told that I have to watch the Tora-san movies [in which the protagonist is from Shibamata], and I will! Movies and anime are of course an excellent way of promoting your culture, and Japan is doing that cleverly and effectively.

On that note, the anime 'A Dog of Flanders' is very popular in Japan, but few people in Europe know it. Part of the story takes place in Antwerp, and there’s a statue of the little boy and his little dog in front of the cathedral in Antwerp. The Japanese tourists all know it’s there, but ask any Belgian passing by and they won’t be able to tell you what it’s about [laughs].

Japan is very effective in projecting a positive image through manga and anime. Belgium also has a strong comic book culture, with Tintin, the Smurfs and others, and I think more can be done to connect comic artists from both countries.

I was going to say that my favourite one is at home, because my husband cooks very well [laughs]. Other than that, there’s the Belgian Brasserie Court chain of restaurants named after train stations or major towns in Belgium, and Delirium Café – that’s the one you mentioned. Other good ones are Brussels Beer Project in Shinjuku, and Tokyo Beer Paradise in Marunouchi. There’s a chef who has a restaurant called Champ de Soleil, which also does catering.

I have to mention the Belgian chocolatiers with their delicious chocolates, from Pierre Marcolini to Godiva, Madame Delluc, Galler, Leonidas – all present here in Japan. There’s a company called Manneken that does Belgian waffles, and many supermarkets also sell them.

And of course there are the Belgian Beer Weekends, which are organised in several cities in Japan and are excellent occasions to taste not only beers but also fries, cheese and other typical Belgian dishes. With the music they have, it makes you feel you’re at the Grand Place in Brussels [laughs]. They had to cancel several editions this year because of the state of emergency, but there are currently Belgian Beer Weekends coming up in Hibiya (June 17-20) and Toyosu (September 17-26).

The best way is to follow [the embassy] on social media. We do events, and also have a recipe series with traditional Belgian dishes. We relay various aspects of the culture and try to find links with Japan where we can. Another great way to discover the culture is of course, when the bars reopen, to go have a drink.

We have student exchange programmes and scholarships, so readers who are studying may want to consider that too. We try to keep in touch with our alumni and provide opportunities for them to speak about their experiences in Belgium. As a member of the European Union and of the Francophonie (the French-speaking countries), we promote our culture by speaking about Belgium in schools.

Of course there’s a lot of uncertainty as to how the Olympics will happen, whether spectators will be allowed to attend and so on. The plan was for the Games to be a big party, which would have been a great occasion to showcase our culture too, and it’s very sad that it won’t be like that since it changes people’s perception of the Games.

That said, I think it’s important to highlight that at the Games this summer, you’ll have athletes who have been preparing for the event for five years and have trained and worked really hard for that moment. I think they still deserve our support.

The Olympics and Paralympics are a celebration of multiculturalism, openness and tolerance, but it’s a bit more difficult to achieve that togetherness under the current circumstances. Before Covid, I would have told you that all the exchanges during the Games will definitely change Japanese people’s views on other countries, and I still hope the event will inspire curiosity. If the Games can spark positive curiosity, that would be a major success.

As for the Paralympics, we all still have much to improve in terms of inclusivity, whether it’s physical access or social acceptance. If the event were to change people’s perceptions in this field, I think that would be something extraordinary.

I think both Belgium and Japan are very committed to the SDGs. Climate and green energy are fields in which partnerships between our countries can help achieve these goals. In terms of access to health, both countries contribute to the Covax initiative to improve access to vaccines for the whole world.

Another Belgian initiative worth noting is the SDGs Platform, which our then-minister of development cooperation – our current prime minister – started for the private sector to get on board. He established a charter that companies could sign to commit themselves to achieving the goals, and this idea was later adopted in other countries.

Also, when the SDGs were first launched there was concern that people wouldn’t understand what they were about, so one of the symbols used to promote the goals was the Smurfs, created by the Belgian cartoonist Peyo.

Yes. On the climate front, Japan recently reaffirmed its commitment to a carbon-free economy. This is of course music to our ears, because we’re also on the road to decarbonisation. In that field, there’s a lot that can be done between Belgium and Japan, and much is already being done.

Belgium is the world’s fourth largest producer of offshore wind power, and some of these investments were accomplished with Japanese partnership. As for hydrogen, I was recently present for the launching of the first passenger ship running fully on hydrogen in Japan. This is a joint venture between a Belgian and a Japanese company, and is opening the way for many more partnerships in the field. Navigation is a sector that can certainly benefit from greener technologies, which would have an impact on trade around the world.

There’s also efficient transport of energy: we have a company that’s started installing sensors on high voltage lines here in Japan. These “intelligent” sensors allow you to transport energy more efficiently.

The third aspect is energy efficiency. Brussels is one of the leading cities in building energy-efficient buildings. We have lots of old buildings that have had to be renovated, and in doing this the city of Brussels took the deliberate step of investing in energy-efficient buildings. Not only zero-emissions buildings, but even ones that have a positive impact – that it’s better to have the buildings there than not. 

When I look around me, I think this would be a very good way of working together. There are constantly buildings going up around us here in Tokyo. There’s potential for investment in greener buildings, which would help Japan meet its target of decarbonising the economy. Interview by Masashi Takahashi, coordination by Hiroko M. Ohiwa