Tokyo meets the world: Chile

Japan is an extraordinary country, and I’ve been really impressed. This is my first time in Japan, and I’ve taken note of how Japan manages to be very modern and traditional at the same time. Tradition here is part of daily life, and you notice how traditions are being respected while the country is developing very modern things, such as the cities and transportation. That [combination of tradition and modernity] is something that stands out.

To be able to represent Chile in Japan is an honour and a privilege, especially this year as we celebrate 125 years of diplomatic relations between Chile and Japan. We will be organising various activities during the year to commemorate this milestone, such as a Haiku contest, a film festival, seminars on topics such as natural disasters and astronomy, and a podcast that will highlight these 125 years of mutual understanding and look towards the future.

My favourite places are mainly those where I can walk or cycle, so parks and the major sights. The pandemic hasn’t helped when it comes to discovering the city, though I notice that the theatres are opening up again, and that’s something I’m interested in approaching in the near future. That said, I have been around a little, especially during the Olympics and Paralympics, when our Paralympians were hosted in Mitaka. 

I only recently left the metropolitan area [for the first time], visiting Hakuba in Nagano for skiing. That was really nice, with all the mountains full of places to visit, and the snow was perfect. Travelling on the Shinkansen was also very comfortable. I’m looking forward to my first sakura season, and in summer I’d like to visit the southern islands. I love to sail, and perhaps would be able to hire a little boat down there.

Fortunately, Chile is an important supplier of food items to Japan, which makes it easy to find ingredients we are used to and prepare them in our way. You can just go to any supermarket to pick up Chilean wine, salmon and fruit. Chile has been the number one exporter of wine to Japan in terms of volume for seven consecutive years, from 2015 to 2021. We are focusing on sustainability in our wine production, having launched a sustainability code under which more than 80 percent of the wine we export, including several wines that are popular in Japan, comes from certified sustainable wineries. Being sustainable gives us a competitive advantage. 

In addition, more than 90 percent of the salmon Japan imports comes from Chile, and we’re the main Southern Hemisphere exporter of fresh fruits to Japan, including grapes, lemons, cherries, kiwis, and blueberries. It’s now the season for Chilean table grapes, so you can find them in several local supermarkets. We are also beginning to export a special type of lamb from Punta Arenas in the Chilean Patagonia [region] to Japan. 

Several memorable historical matters tie our two countries together. For example, we share a history of being affected by natural disasters. In 1960, a tsunami caused by a powerful earthquake in Chile reached the Sanriku coast of Japan, killing 142 people in places including Minamisanriku in Miyagi prefecture and Ofunato in Iwate prefecture. To promote friendship between our two countries, which share similar experiences of recovering from natural disasters, Chile presented a stone replica of a Moai statue [from Easter Island] to Minamisanriku in 1991.

The statue was destroyed by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, but when Chilean president Sebastián Piñera travelled to Japan in March 2012, he visited Minamisanriku and promised to donate a new Moai. This new statue, created by Rapa Nui sculptor and measuring five meters high and weighing six tons, was shipped to Minamisanriku in May 2013.

Chile-Japan collaboration on the Moai statues actually dates back to 1988, when the then-governor of Easter Island was looking for a crane large enough to raise toppled Moai back on their feet. The Japanese crane manufacturer Tadano decided to donate one of their machines to the island. Between 1991 and 1993, Japanese experts also visited Easter Island to help with the excavation and repair work. The famous ‘fifteen Moai’ at Ahu Tongariki on Easter Island is the result of this collaboration, and Ahu Tongariki is currently the most popular tourist spot on the island.

First of all, we should recognize the tremendous work that was done to host the Olympics in this most difficult of times. The Games were a great success, and proved the resilience of Japan and the Japanese people’s ability to confront adversity.

Going forward, things that were implemented for the Games – the renovation of various facilities, the new stadiums, and even ways to conduct financial transactions, with more alternatives to cash – will continue to have an impact when things get back to normal and the country opens up to tourism again, making things easier for visitors to travel around Japan and enjoy their time here. That’s a remarkable thing and something that will last for several years. Hosting a Games makes the host country more integrated with the rest of the world, which is a benefit for everyone. 

Chilean athletes greatly valued their experience in Japan, in large part thanks to the efforts of the ‘host towns’ – the local communities that hosted our Olympians and Paralympians.

Chile is committed to the SDGs, and we are aiming to be carbon neutral by 2050. We are phasing out most of our coal-powered energy facilities by 2025, and more than 40 percent of our energy already comes from renewable sources. This is due to having the advantage of the desert that provides ample sun, as well as the wind from the south. [These resources] allow us to produce green ammonia and green hydrogen to offer energy-consuming countries such as Japan. The plans, strategies and legislation we have implemented in the environmental field have led to advances not only in renewable energy but also in matters such as protection of the oceans.

The other SDG I’d like to highlight is gender equality, as we are working hard on that goal. Women’s participation in the labour force is a central matter in the agenda of our new president, Gabriel Boric, and 14 out of 24 cabinet posts [in his administration] are held by women. 

In Japan, I am drawn to the technology being developed [for sustainability purposes], because it’s very impressive. We are already cooperating with Japan in several areas in this regard, including green energy and disaster management, given our two countries’ experiences with natural disasters. The tasks and commitments of the [SDGs] are broad and ambitious, and we are aware that collaboration and cooperation within and between countries is essential in order to achieve them.