Tokyo meets the world: Argentina

Well, my first impression of Tokyo is that it’s one of the greatest capital cities in the world, and when I say that I’m not trying to be kind, I’m being objective. Tokyo has everything, but its distinctly Japanese soul is what stands out to me. I very much like to walk around the city with my wife, exploring everything, because the city is like a world in itself. We especially like discovering historical sites and interesting architecture, and Tokyo is without a doubt one of the world capitals of architecture.

The Roppongi Hills area has special meaning for [Argentines] because that’s where our embassy used to be. It was this big plot with a house that was rented by our government for several decades, then bought, but sold in 1989. We built the [current embassy in Minami-Azabu] only after that. That’s why I’d say Roppongi Hills – apart from it being a very nice area!

The Olympics provided the whole world with an opportunity to take a look at Tokyo, and once the pandemic leaves us, I have no doubt that the city will receive a huge quantity of visitors from all over the world. Japan as a tourist destination is on top of the list worldwide. Tourism will become one of the country’s main industries, as was already happening before Covid. In no small part, the Olympics demonstrated this society’s capability to organise major events under very difficult circumstances, thereby showing off the capacity of Japan as a country.

My main objectives are to increase Japanese investment in Argentina and to encourage bilateral trade. In fact, we have already finalised the technical steps required in order to export Argentine beef from the entire country to Japan, and are only waiting for final approval.

Yes, there’s a longstanding Japanese presence in Argentina. Around 50,000 people of Japanese ancestry live in Argentina, and many important Japanese companies do business in our country. Japanese investments in Argentina are significant and across many different sectors.

[Japanese companies] position Argentina as a platform to export to the rest of Latin America, [which is made possible by] regional economic cooperation agreements such as Mercosur and ALADI, the Latin American Integration Association. This helps Japanese companies sell automobiles and other goods to around 20 countries.

Yes, we will actually soon sign an agreement to develop ammonia [as a carbon-free fuel] in cooperation with Japan. Argentina already has some capabilities in this field, while Japan has set very clear targets for it. There’s a great opportunity for cooperation there, and [the agreement] is a big step in the right direction. We also have Japanese and Argentine companies working together to develop hydrogen. As you know, Japan is a leader in the hydrogen industry too.

When it comes to the natural environment, geography is in our favour. Argentina is a country with many different climates and landscapes, and our economic development has taken advantage of the possibilities geography has given us. Our energy production is based on hydropower, gas and now wind.

The Patagonia [region] is one of the largest areas in the world for wind power. There [wind power] is not a distant alternative, but something very concrete, and we even have a Japanese company investing in a [Patagonian wind farm] called Los Hércules. I’m sure that green energy alternatives will continue being an important part of the economic development of Argentina. Interview by Masashi Takahashi. For more information, visit the official Instagram pages of @embajadaargentinaenjapon and @visitargentina.