Tokyo meets the world: Tunisia

I feel privileged to serve my country in Japan – a feeling I share with all diplomats in Tokyo. It’s a unique opportunity to be part of the diplomatic community in this wonderful and exceptional country, which inspires all of humankind. 

When I first came here, only a few months had passed after the triple catastrophe of March 2011. One of my first visits outside of Tokyo was to the devastated areas in Fukushima and Iwate prefectures, as well as the city of Ishinomaki, which has close ties to Tunisia. I could notice the extent of the disaster and how greatly the population had been affected, having had to move from their homes to shelters and going through a very difficult time. I have been going back regularly after that, at least once a year for the commemoration of the catastrophe, and have come to appreciate the Japanese spirit of resilience in the face of difficulties, how inspiring it has been to me and to people everywhere.

My family and I are happy with our stay in Japan, and we are learning every day. On a personal note, our son was only two years old when we first came here in 2011, so he went to Japanese kindergarten for two years. Through him, we’ve been witnessing how Japanese children are raised with certain values and manners, which I think explain why the Japanese are so organised in their daily lives.

I’ve visited many cities in Japan, but Tokyo has a special place in my heart. It’s a big, multicultural and open city. I try to take daily walks in the surroundings of the embassy, and its location [in Kudan Minami between Kudanshita and Ichigaya stations] allows me to enjoy many wonderful sights such as Chidorigafuchi, which is especially wonderful during sakura season. I also try to jog around the Imperial Palace at least once a week, and enjoy museums such as the National Museum in Ueno. I go to places like Asakusa from time to time to enjoy the culture – it’s nice because you can find all these old shops and Japanese antiques. When I have time during the weekend, I like to visit places nearby such as Mt Takao and Yokohama.

There are currently two Tunisian restaurants in Tokyo. La maison de Cous Cous near Tokyo Tower and Brasserie Djerba near Shimura-Sakaue Station in Itabashi.

There are also some shops that sell Tunisian products, including Nissin which carries Tunisian olive oil, wine, couscous and the like. Tunisia is one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of olive oil, through unfortunately this isn’t quite reflected in the Japanese market yet.

I’m originally from the coastal part of Tunisia and we eat lots of fish and other seafood in my family, so from time to time I shop at the market in Ueno, which has a nice variety of seafood. Another place I like is a casual restaurant in Mt Takao, on top of the hill with a nice view. They serve udon hot in winter and cold in the summertime. When served hot and with chilli powder, [the dish] reminds me of a casual Tunisian meal that we eat in winter: lablabi, which is made of chickpeas and served with a condiment made of chilli. When I go to [Mt Takao] with my family we compare the two dishes. The ingredients are different but there are many other similarities.

Tunisia got its independence from France in March 1956, and we established diplomatic relations with Japan only three months later. We are grateful to Japan for having always stood on our side and supported our economic and social development through the years. Our relations keep growing and our partnership is truly multi-layered, covering all sectors of common interest, from economy and trade to culture and human exchanges.

This year, we are looking forward to holding the TICAD (Tokyo International Conference on African Development) 8 summit in Tunisia on August 27-28, and are doing our best to make it a great success. We believe [the summit] will bring unprecedented momentum to our relations, since it will mark the first-ever visit of a Japanese prime minister in office to Tunisia. His delegation will include many members of the business community, and during the last few years we have organised a series of business seminars and webinars to further promote the business environment in Tunisia and show the Japanese business community how Tunisia can be a gateway to Africa as well as the Arab region and Europe. Our strategic location at the heart of the Mediterranean is a major asset. We have heard indications that the big Japanese trading houses are preparing to enter Tunisia.

In terms of human exchange, we have a friendship association chaired by His Excellency Mr Yasuaki Ono, a former Japanese ambassador to Tunisia, and we are trying to establish chapters of the association in several cities, including Ishinomaki. We also have a sister city agreement between Seto in Aichi prefecture and Nabeul in Tunisia, which share a pottery tradition. We are also exploring other opportunities for cooperation between Japanese and Tunisian cities, including our host cities during [last year’s] Olympics and Paralympics – Ishinomaki, Yokohama, Kamisu in Ibaraki, and Edogawa here in Tokyo.

I believe that the Olympics and Paralympics were a great success, since [organising the Games] demonstrated that Japan could host such a big international gathering despite the difficulties imposed by the pandemic. Japan has always been fascinating the world with its success in hosting major international events.

Maybe some here in Japan can’t quite see the amount of joy the Games brought to other countries and their athletes. On that note, let me tell you a story about Tunisia and the Tokyo Games. Our swimming team visited Ishinomaki for a pre-camp in February 2020, just a few weeks before the pandemic started. One of the athletes on the team was the 18-year-old Ahmed Ayoub Hafnaoui, a big talent but still young. Back then, I asked Hafnaoui’s coach about his expectations, and he said [his protégé] was still a diamond in the rough, a very talented young athlete who could achieve something in Tokyo but was really aiming for Paris [2024].

So, a year and a half later, when Hafnaoui was competing in the 400-metre freestyle final in Tokyo, he was in the eighth lane, at the edge of the pool, but surprised everyone by taking the gold medal. That day was historic for Tunisia, and you can’t imagine the joy it brought to my country. Maybe with the effects of the pandemic and being cautious of what so many foreigners coming in could result in, some people in Japan can’t appreciate the degree of joy and happiness [Olympians and Paralympians] were able to bring their respective countries.

Anyway, Japan’s ability to host gatherings [such as the Olympics] is exceptional, and now the World Expo is going to be held in Osaka in 2025. When I visited the organising committee recently, I could notice the degree of preparation already – three years ahead of time. That’s inspiring for us, especially now that we are preparing for the TICAD gathering in Tunisia.

Japan and Tunisia are on the same page when talking about sustainability and the [UN’s] Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this regard, I think Tunisia can share its experiences especially in fields such as women’s empowerment and the development of human resources. Tunisia, like Japan, has no major natural resources and has thus focused on its human resources, making it somewhat different from many other countries in the region. I think we can bring our experience to the international community to help it achieve these very important goals.