Tokyo meets the world: Portugal

[My time here] has been a magnificent experience. Japan and Portugal have unique historical ties that date back to the 16th century. We were the first Westerners to set foot in Japan, in 1543. I want to take advantage of that to show our Japanese friends that nowadays, we are much more than the Tanegashima gun [the arquebus introduced to Japan by the Portuguese in 1543], our national football team or tempura. We are a modern, competitive and safe country, and a good investment partner. Given our privileged location between Europe, Africa and America, we can be a big hub for Japanese investment in Europe.

So far, life in Tokyo is very easy and pleasant. Before coming here I was ambassador in Dakar, covering seven Western African countries, so it’s quite different. I’m still figuring out how to deal with this unique culture.

One of the things that gives me the most pleasure is riding around on my motorbike anonymously, without diplomatic formalities. I like going for a drink in total freedom and discovering the city’s narrow streets, where you can eat so well and feel safe at the same time. The security of the country, the friendliness of the people and – for me, perhaps most importantly – the profound respect for elderly people are the three things I value most here.

As for places, I’m still discovering, but my go-to restaurant is Bistro Chick, owned by new friend Nishi. You can eat good Japanese meat accompanied by a nice glass of vinho verde. My favourite neighbourhood as of now is Omotesando, where you can find everything from well-known brands to secondhand shops, all while being surrounded by aesthetically pleasing buildings, like those you see in architectural magazines.

I also like Roppongi, where the official residence of Portugal is located, Tsukiji with its exquisite seafood, and of course Kamakura – it’s said that the Portuguese are a sea people, and I’m from the sea, so being near the sea is what appeals to me the most. I often go there just to look at the sea, swim and remember my country.

I know there are some Portuguese restaurants in Tokyo, such as Cristiano’s, Mar de Cristiano, Manuel or Piri Piri (which recently moved to Yokohama), but the truth is that we still have a lot of work to do promoting Portuguese gastronomy in Japan and attracting Portuguese chefs to work in Japan as ambassadors of our cuisine.

We have some successful examples such as Castella do Paulo in Kyoto, owned by Paulo Duarte, who makes sweets such as castella cakes, or pão de ló as they’re called in Portugal. But we must continue our work of increasing exports of Portuguese products to Japan and promoting cooperation between Portuguese and Japanese culinary schools. As a first step, I’m the first ambassador to hire a Portuguese chef for the official residence, coming from a culinary school in Portugal.

It’s not hard to find Portuguese wines in Japan nowadays. There are several good importers and we have a diversified presence of wines, from all of Portugal’s wine regions and all types of wine: red, white, vinho verde, port and Madeira.

The Expo is an interesting event, since it has the potential to be a real booster for the region’s economy and to consolidate Osaka as a major hub in international relations. I believe the formula for success is to learn from past editions of the Expo. Portugal also had a very successful World Expo back in 1998. That made for a pretext to relaunch our country’s vocation as a maritime nation, and it left behind some impressive infrastructure, such as the Lisbon Oceanarium – which coincidentally was conceived by the same person who designed the Kaiyukan aquarium in Osaka. 

We are very excited about our participation in Expo 2025, and are already working hard on [our contribution]. Our pavilion will showcase a modern and competitive Portugal without forgetting the deep historical connection that unites us with Japan.

To borrow an expression from one of our deputy foreign ministers, Portugal is an ‘improbable’ country. We have a limited territorial dimension – although our maritime dimension is significant – and only around 10 million inhabitants. As far as we know, we don’t have access to major natural resources either. And yet, we are moving towards 900 years of independence and have one of the most stable borders on the European continent. We have what in my opinion is an enviable level of political and social unity and are always counted among the top third of UN member states in terms of development, whatever the criteria.

What I find interesting is that Portugal has managed to transform the limitations of its power projection capacity into one of its main instruments of international relations, namely peace diplomacy. Portugal is not the only country to practice peace diplomacy, but ours is supported by a unique history and a diaspora extending across all five continents, as well as our business, culture and politics.

Portugal is not a great power able to impose its will upon others, but we’ve come to play a very important role in the world. For example, Portuguese occupy and have occupied a significant number of key positions in international organisations, starting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the former president of the European Commission, [José Manuel] Durão Barroso.

As for Portugal and Japan, we share many values and principles when it comes to defending multilateralism and human rights. Japan has been building its role as a diplomatic power, which was evident during the present crisis caused by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. Japan and Portugal are both countries of free men, of dialogue and peace, which makes us very good allies and good old friends.

The second United Nations Ocean Conference just closed in Lisbon, so this question is very pertinent. Portugal is considered one of the top five countries in the world when it comes to combatting climate change. We’re fifth in the world in the use of renewable energy, and our goal is to have 80 percent of our energy produced through renewables within the next five years. That clearly shows the great commitment we have made towards sustainability.

The ocean conference I mentioned was an event of the utmost importance, since the oceans are facing a profound transformation. The conference impelled all of us to look at this reality and act accordingly in order to promote the health of the oceans that are in danger.

Solutions for sustainable ocean management require the application of green technology and innovative use of marine resources. We need to address the threats that compromise the health, ecology, economy and governance of the oceans: acidification; marine litter and pollution; illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing; and loss of habitats and biodiversity. 

Portugal and Japan are fighting together to help consolidate the importance of the sea in the [world’s] response to the climate crisis, contributing to global awareness of the interdependence of the SDGs and the relevance of the marine environment in climate action.