Newsletter No. 461
News-Analysis
December 12, 2006

 

Several small articles have recently appeared regarding Japan-Brunei relations. The following is a round-up collection of these articles.

CELEBRATING BRUNEI-JAPAN TIES
Borneo Bulletin, December 7, 2006
By Sonia K

Bandar Seri Begawan -- "Japan and Brunei have -- since the establishment of diplomatic ties -- been strengthening their friendship in various fields: economy, culture, people-to-people exchange and so forth... As a result of these activities, for instance in the field of economy, Japan has become the biggest export market for Brunei. This shows how close our bilateral relationship is." Japanese Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam Hashimoto Itsuo yesterday said this during hiss speech at the 73rd birthday celebration of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan.

The celebration -- held at the International Convention Centre -- saw Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Dewa Major General (R) Dato Seri Pahlawan Awg Hj Mohammad present as guest of honour. "Needless to say, the ties between our two countries did not just begin 22 years ago: Japan and Brunei have a long history of exchange and today's good relationship is based on this history... In this sense, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to those -- in both Japan and Brunei -- who have made, and continue to make, great efforts to develop good bilateral relations in various fields," Mr. Hashimoto added.

The Japanese Ambassador also said that in December last year, then Prime Minister Koizumi had agreed with His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei that efforts would be made towards launching negotiations on the Japan-Brunei Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). He added, "Following talks between Foreign Minister Taro Aso and His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah in May this year, intensive negotiations for the EPA started in June and much progress has been made towards the conclusion of the EPA."

Mr. Hashimoto is confident that after the successful conclusion of the EPA, Japan-Brunei relations will develop further. "We should also note the great roles which the Japanese imperial family and the Brunei royal family have contributed to our strong bilateral relations. There have been, and continue to be, imperial and royal visits between our two countries," he added.

The ambassador later expressed hopes that relations between both countries will be further enhanced under Japanese Prime Minister Abe's administration. The evening opened with the playing of the national anthems of Brunei Darussalam and Japan.

Later, the guest of honour and Japanese ambassador proceeded to cut the anniversary cake. The celebration included choir performances by Japanese students and students from Maktab Sains. Various songs were staged, among them; Oshogatsu, Rasa Sayang, Genki no shower and Mirai e.

JAPANESE ENVOY HOSTS HI-TEA FOR STUDENTS
Borneo Bulletin, December 7, 2006
By James Kon

Mr. Itsuo Hashimoto, the Japanese Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam, hosted a hi-tea reception for the local students attending the short-term exchange programme for ASEAN high school students at the Japanese ambassador's residence recently.

The students, who have already left for Japan, will be visiting a number of prefectures in Japan for three weeks. Some of the destinations include Tokyo, Fukuoka, Hokkaido and Hiroshima. The students will also be sharing living and studies experiences in Japanese school-life and home-stay.

The students heading to Japan are Jason Lih Cheng Kok, Ak Mohammad Shaherwan bin Pengiran Idris, Abang Muhammad Salih bin Abang Mustafa, Mr Wong Kuo Hong, Dayang Sarah Hanaa Binti Hj Ahmad Ghazali, Dayang Nur Izzati Binti Hj Sahari, Dayang Siti Nur Idayu Binti Matusin and Dayang Noor Saudah Binti Zulkifli.

Also present at the hi-tea reception were officials from STEP Centre and Japanese embassy.

JAPANESE TRAVEL GUIDE TO FEATURE BRUNEI
The Brunei Times, December 11, 2006

Two representatives from Japan's Neutral 'Travel For Life' Travelers Guide Magazine are currently in Brunei Darussalam as guests of the Brunei-Japan Friendship Association (BJFA). Naonori Kato and Masanobu Mariyama will be here for a week for a fact-finding visit for an article featuring Brunei Darussalam in their quarterly issue to be out in 2007.

The featured article shall introduce Brunei Darussalam as one of tourist destinations that are rich in culture and tradition and to promote the country's natural environment.

Neutral 'Travel for Life' has a circulation over 200,000 copies annually, targeting the Japanese tourists and travelers alike and it focuses on the distinctive point of view, which has not appeared in other sightseeing guides. It would like to capture Brunei's natural beauty and its majestic royal heritage monuments.

The BJFA was founded on 14 March 1985 for the purpose of strengthening economical and cultural exchanges with Brunei.

On the business side, the Brunei-Japan Friendship Association is very active in assisting the activities of Brunei delegations (from both government and private sectors) visiting Japan. On education, the BJFA extends considerable support to Bruneian students studying in Japan. BJFA is also helping the Embassy of Brunei to Japan to promote awareness of Bruneian culture to the Japanese.