K I ZU NA
Linking Japan and the World

Early Spring
2021

KIZUNA

KANAZAWA SHOKO
Calligraphy Artist
Born in Tokyo in 1985, she started learning
calligraphy from her mother when she wasfive years old. One of the notable young
calligraphers of today, her solo exhibitions
have been held throughout the world,in cities such as New York, Singapore,and Prague. She was selected as one of theofficial poster artists for Tokyo 2020.

Welcome to KIZUNA, the official
magazine of the Government of Japan.
This bold work of calligraphy is
絆(kizuna) written in Japanese. Kizuna
means the enduring bonds between
people—close relationships forgedthrough mutual trust and support.
Originally describing the rope used
to tether domestic animals such as
horses and dogs, the meaning of
kizuna has evolved over the years. A
passage in The Tale of the Heike,compiled in the 13th century, uses theterm to refer to the bonds of love
between a father and his children.
More recently, kizuna has gone
beyond bonds tying together family
and close acquaintances; it is now
used in a broader sense of human ties
and connections. Of particular note is
the kizuna born among people during
natural calamities, which fosters
feelings of solidarity and serves as theunderlying strength to overcome
hardships.
Similarly, the kizuna cultivatedamong the countries of the world has
the power to deepen cooperation for abetter future. By reporting on a wide
variety of topics concerning Japan, we
hope that this magazine will provide
opportunities for Japan and the rest of
the world to connect and build
strong kizuna.

CONTENTSSUSTAINABILITY

04

The World’s Largest Hydrogen-Production Facilityon the Path to Zero Emissions
SUSTAINABILITY

06

Artificial Photosynthesis: A Step Towarda Carbon-Free Future
SUSTAINABILITY

08

Coming Together in the Fight Against Ocean Waste
LIFE & CULTURE

10

Sustainable Business as a Model for Thinking
Beyond Foreign Aid
HEALTH & WELFARE

12International Cooperation to Secure the Healthy
Lives of Cambodian Mothers and Babies
HEALTH & WELFARE

14

Research that Saves Us from Infectious Diseases:
Fighting TB Throughout the WorldPOLICY & DIPLOMACY

16

Promoting Understanding on Territory andSovereignty with an Enhanced Experience
REGIONAL STRENGTH

18

Local Women Drive Community Revitalization
LIFE & CULTURE

20

The Swede Inheriting the Soul ofJapanese Swordcraft
LIFE & CULTURE

22The Joy of Chado Found in Handbuilt Teahousesin Mexico

Early Spring 2021

COVER
HARA Yukari, the founder & executive
director of the NGO MYDREAM.org,
is seen in the village of Bognayili inNorthern Ghana, where her activities
have their base. Through promoting thedevelopment of sustainable businesses,
she is aiming to create an environmentthat enables local children to havedreams for the future as well as themeans to realize them. (see page 10)

03

SUSTAINABILITY

THE WORLD’S LARGESTHYDROGENPRODUCTION
FACILITY

FH2R

Fukushima

ON THE PATH TO ZERO EMISSIONSThe Fukushima Hydrogen Energy Research Field, the world’s largest hydrogen-production facility,
began operation in 2020 and constitutes a giant leap towards the realization of a hydrogen society.
Hydrogen, unlike petroleum or coal, produces nocarbon dioxide when used. It can also be produced
from a variety of resources, allowing renewableenergy sources, such as solar, wind, and biomass, tobe used. Thus, the entire process, from production
to utilization, can be nearly carbon-free, whichis indispensable for achieving the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) of climate action andaffordable and clean energy.
Amid calls for a global conversion to clean
energy, Japan is leading the world by applying its
technological strengths, such as introducing theworld’s first commercially viable fuel-cell vehicle(FCV), moving forward to the realization of ahydrogen society. Japan is also showing leadership inother ways, such as through the action plan known

as the Basic Hydrogen Strategy, established in 2017,and by hosting the Hydrogen Energy Ministerial
Meeting, which in 2018 was the world’s first cabinetlevel discussion devoted to the issue.
In those efforts, a vital role is played by the
Fukushima Hydrogen Energy Research Field(FH2R), completed in March 2020. Equipped witha 10,000 kW class hydrogen production facility, theplant is producing hydrogen by utilizing electricity
generated from solar panels arrayed around its
perimeter. Enough hydrogen fuel can be produced at
the facility every day to supply power for about 150
households (monthly consumption), or to fill 560
FCVs.
Achieving a hydrogen society requires promoting
the total integration of the making, storing, andThe world’s largest facility for producing hydrogen using renewableenergy is the Fukushima Hydrogen Energy Research Field (FH2R).

04

When automobiles fueled by hydrogen generated by renewable energy
become more widespread, it will contribute greatly to reducing CO2
emissions.

using of hydrogen. A particularly critical issue is
responding to fluctuations in electrical power when
the hydrogen is made from renewable energy sourcesthat vary according to the weather and other factors.
FH2R uses information from a hydrogen demandand-supply forecasting system for predicting themarket demand for hydrogen, and additional datafrom a power grid control system, so as to maximize
the use of electricity from renewable sources. The
goal is to develop the most efficient hydrogen energy
management system.
Compared to conventional energy, hydrogenoffers new possibilities for storing and transporting
energy, necessitating the development of appropriate
methods. Accordingly, based on an understandingof hydrogen’s properties as a fuel, verification of thesafest management and transportation methods isbeing carried out. The operation of FH2R, whereverification tests can be run on the entire process—from making to storing—is a giant leap towards
realizing a hydrogen society.
In Japan, the stage of using hydrogen began prior
to the stage of making and storing. Iconic examples
are the Ene-Farm fuel cell (for residential use),
Mirai (the world’s first FCV), and the introductionof fuel-cell buses on Tokyo’s metropolitan bus lines

and elsewhere. Moreover, the Olympic Village areain Tokyo will be furnished with a hydrogen station,a hydrogen pipeline, and pure hydrogen fuel cells.
When the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo
2020 finally end, the area will be designated forresidential and commercial use, and will utilize theelectricity generated from these facilities. Buses
and automobiles equipped with hydrogen fuelcells are being introduced as a legacy of the Tokyo
2020 Games, enabling Tokyo to be a model of anenvironmentally advanced city transitioning
towards a carbon-free society.
Hydrogen, a clean fuel that can be stored andtransported, provides flexibility and new possibilities
to society beyond what was previously available withconventional energy sources. With humanity facing
so many problems in need of solutions, great hopes
are being placed on the switch to hydrogen. 

The Olympic Village area for the Tokyo 2020 Games is designed as a modelof advanced urban planning, utilizing hydrogen fuel.

Vehicle Supply
Block Supply
Utilization of hydrogenin the Olympic Village
area.
Not only is the hydrogen
supplied from ahydrogen station
used as bus andautomobile fuel,but plans also include
broadening the extent ofpractical applications
for utilization inresidential
and commercial facilities.

Hydrogen Station

Electricity andHeat
Hydrogen
Residential

Hydrogen

Pipeline
Pure hydrogenfuel cell

Fuel-cellbus

Hydrogen production
and storage

Fuel-cellcar(including
car-share)

Commercial

05

SUSTAINABILITYARTIFICIAL
PHOTOSYNTHESIS:A STEP TOWARD A CARBON-FREE FUTURE

Dr. FUJISHIMA Akira, the discoverer of photocatalysis, is working to produce fuel by combining thehydrogen produced from solar energy with greenhouse gases.
It is not widely known that theglass pyramid in the courtyardof the Louvre Museum in Paris
has a transparent coating thatexhibits an antifouling effectupon exposure to natural light.
Dr. FUJISHIMA Akira, aJapanese researcher, pioneered thediscovery of that photocatalysis
reaction, which involves theprinciple of breaking down dirt
without using any energy or
Dr. FUJISHIMA Akira is
the director of the
Photocatalysis
International ResearchCenter at the Tokyo
University of Science. He
discovered photocatalysis
reaction using titaniumoxide while enrolled at the
University of Tokyo
Graduate School. Thatdiscovery was later called
the Honda-Fujishimaeffect, with research on
artificial photosynthesis
then being initiatedaround the world.

incurring any cost. Althoughphotocatalysis has been widely
developed and put into practicaluse in the areas of antifouling andantifogging, research on artificial
photosynthesis—the process of
extracting hydrogen throughphotocatalysis—has also beengarnering significant attention inrecent years as a technology withthe potential to contribute to a
decarbonized society.

It was in 1967, while he wasat a graduate school under
the supervision of the lateDr. HONDA Kenichi, that
Dr. Fujishima, alongside his
supervisor,
discovered
thephotocatalysis reaction. Thisphenomenon produces hydrogenand oxygen when titanium oxide
is exposed to light under water,in effect reproducing the redox(or oxidation-reduction) reaction
similar to that of photosynthesis
in plants. So excited was Dr.
Fujishima with his discovery—
the knowledge that oxygen could
be extracted simply throughexposure to light—that he was

Photocatalysis acts as an antifouling and antifogging
effect simply by the irradiation of light. It has also beenused in the glass covering the pyramid-shaped entrance of
the Louvre Museum. The glass maintains its transparent
beauty by decomposing dirt.

06unable to sleep for some time.
Dr. Fujishima’s paper, written
jointly with Dr. Honda, waspublished in the journal Naturein 1972, following which thephotocatalysis reaction became
known as the Honda-Fujishimaeffect. Ever since the oil crisisof the 1970s, the process of
being able to extract hydrogenthrough photocatalysis has been
greatly anticipated as a source ofalternative energy to replace oil,and researchers around the world
have been working on an efficientmeans to extract hydrogen via
artificial photosynthesis usingthat principle.
With the United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) aiming to reducegreenhouse gases, research on
artificial photosynthesis has
been increasingly gaining pace,though many challenges still
remain. Dr. Fujishima says, “Toachieve the practical applicationsof hydrogen production using
artificial photosynthesis, the highefficiency of hydrogen extractionis, of course, the basic key factor.
However, the other key factors are

Converting CO2
into a resource
toward adecarbonizedsocietyFujishima (left) conducting an experiment with Dr. Honda in 1967. Initially, nobody believed the pair’s
findings, namely, that water could be broken down with light energy alone.

whether we can find a catalyst thatsatisfies the remaining various
conditions; this includes whether
the materials used as catalysts canbe easily obtained, whether a large
surface area photocatalyst can be
manufactured, and whether any
harmful substances are containedin the material. We are waiting fora breakthrough for those things in
the future.”
Along with the shift to replacefossil fuels with renewableenergies such as hydrogen, anotherimportant measure to achieving adecarbonized society is carbon
recycling, effectively using CO2
as a resource. In consideration ofthat viewpoint, Dr. Fujishima has
proposed the following method;
first, extract hydrogen throughwater electrolysis using theelectricity produced from highly
efficient solar cells. Next, combine

the extracted hydrogen with
the CO2 emitted from power
plants and factories to produce
methanol, which can be used as
an energy source. If this process isrealized, gases containing carbon,
such as CO2, will no longer
contribute to the greenhouseeffect. Rather, those gases will
become “resources” to replace oiland natural gas.
Dr. Fujishima currently heads
the Photocatalysis International
Research Center at the Tokyo
University of Science, where heis leading research on further
progress of photocatalysis in thefields of the environment andenergy. “I think it’s importantfor science to contribute to theworld,” he says. Based on his
discovery, a decarbonized society,where even CO2 is used as aresource, will soon be realized. 

Water

Gas

CO2

Renewablesolar power

Generating new energy
from sunlight, water,and CO2

H2
Electricity

Waterelectrolysis

Methanol
synthesis

Solar cells

07

“Kehi no Matsubara” is a scenic spot of Japan. The contrast
between the vast sandy beach of about 400,000 m2 and thepine forest of 17,000 trees has long been loved by the people.

COMING TOGETHER IN

THE FIGHT
AGAINSTOCEAN WASTE

Visit Tsuruga, where the local community
and the municipal government havecollaborated in launching bold initiatives toclean their beloved sea and beaches.

“Mizushima” is an uninhabited island located at the tip of Tsuruga Peninsula. This
small island, about 500 m in length, is a popular sightseeing spot with clear, blue,
shallow waters and white sandy beaches.

08

The Tsuruga Bay in Fukui Prefecture faces the
Sea of Japan to the north, with mountains in every
other direction. Located deep in the bay, the Portof Tsuruga has thrived since long ago as a gateway
to mainland Asia. It is also known as a “port ofhumanity” for accepting Polish orphans after theRussian Revolution and Jewish refugees during
World War II. In addition, the bayside is home to thebeachside pine groves at “Kehi no Matsubara,” whose
majestic scenery has a longstanding reputation. The
sandy shore here is a popular swimming spot insummer. Members of the local community have a
special place in their hearts for the quaint beaches
running along the bay.

SUSTAINABILITY

Seasonal
Wind

Tsuruga

For many years, local
residents have beenworking to preserve
their beaches.

In recent years, however, this beautiful bay has
been plagued by marine debris. Because of the way
the deep bay brings in water from the Sea of Japan, it
produces high waves in winter that carry an especiallylarge amount of trash. The amount of trash washingup onto the bay’s east side, in particular, has grown at
an alarming rate. Meanwhile, much of the dramaticincrease in plastic waste over the past decade has beenoriginating from other nearby countries. In the fiscal
year ending in March 2021, over 400 m3 of plastic
trash will be processed in the city of Tsuruga.
At the G20 Summit in June 2019, countries
agreed to swiftly take action both nationallyand internationally, in partnership with relevant
stakeholders, to prevent and significantly reduce
discharges of plastic litter and microplastics to theoceans. In addition, the “Osaka Blue Ocean Vision,”
which aims to reduce additional pollution by marine
plastic litter to zero by 2050, was shared. There is arecognition now that the problem of ocean waste is a
global issue that transcends borders.
Despite the G20 agreement, Tsuruga’s residents
are in dire straits. Along the bay, which once had athriving salt production industry as part of its history,
the people have a long-held custom of keeping thebeaches clean, and for many years, local volunteers
and fishermen have joined cleanup efforts. Due to theceaseless stream of trash that the currents cast onto
the shore in winter, the major cleanups happen inearly summer, when the beaches open to swimmers.
Elementary school students also pitch in, but withthe birthrate falling and the population aging, there
is a limit to what the community can do. At present,
Tsuruga municipal government has stepped in to
help organize a framework for certain designatedbusinesses to routinely clean up the beaches. Since
1992, the city has also participated in the Clean
Up Fukui Drive, a prefecture-wide environmental
beautification project. These two efforts exemplify
how the government and the business community aretaking on the never-ending fight against marine litter
together.
“We cannot stop the trash from coming ashore. Just
like reducing CO2 emissions, I believe that marine
debris is a problem that countries and people aroundthe world need to tackle together.” So said a resident
who has dealt with the waste for many years in an area
where an especially large amount of trash washes up.
The community is doing what it can, holding various
activities to offer the children, who are tomorrow’s
leaders, opportunities to interact with the sea. Their
hope is that by having a closer connection to thisbeach, those children will develop a love for beautiful
Tsuruga Bay and a desire to preserve it. A large quantity of plastic
waste with labels in otherlanguages washes ashore in
Tsuruga Bay, where theenvironment is influenced by
the Sea of Japan’s currents.

09

LIFE & CULTURESUSTAINABLE
BUSINESSAS A MODEL FOR THINKING BEYOND FOREIGN AID
A Japanese woman has been supporting the activities ofvillagers in the Republic of Ghana under the slogan“Go beyond aid and be self-sustainable by 2022.”

JAPAN

GHANA

MY DREAM.org is a nongovernmentalorganization(NGO) operated by membersof the village of Bognayili in
Ghana. The NGO’s aim is toincrease proceeds earned throughlocal businesses and improvethe environment in whichchildren grow up and pursue

Top: The board members of MY DREAM.org. From left,
Cecilia Dei-Anang, Zakaria Sayibu and HARA Yukari.
Bottom: MY DREAM School began holding lessons
before it even had desks. Today the children learn at desks
as they chase their dreams.

10

their dreams without relying on
donations. HARA Yukari is a
joint representative director of theNGO, sharing the responsibility
with village resident and leader
Zakaria Sayibu.
Hara previously worked forJapan’s Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, during which time sheundertook post-graduate studies
in global health at a university in
the United States. In 2012, whilestill a post-graduate student,
Hara interned at an NGO in
Bognayili. Despite her confidence
that she “surely could contribute
somehow,” it was rather she herself
who was helped by people in thevillage, as she could not speak
their language, nor even makeher own meals. Nevertheless,the villagers helped Hara by
warmly welcoming her. Wishing
to reciprocate their goodwill,
Hara helped the village establish
a kindergarten schoolhouse that
had been long wished for. She
created a website to explain the
project and collect donations, andconsequently the schoolhouse wasbuilt. It was from that endeavorthat MY DREAM.org originated.
Since then, the villagers of
Bognayili have undertaken more
projects to improve the village’s
health, sanitation and education
environments. Hara, who wasposted to the Japanese Embassyin Ghana following her studies,also applied her knowledge
and experiences to assist thoseprojects, visiting the village one
weekend each month. For the firsttwo years, the funding for theseprojects was entirely sourced fromdonations, but the villagers argued,“If we rely on donations, we can’t
continue the activities.” Then,in 2014, the NGO commenced
Income-Generation Activities, aproject aimed at creating funding
through local businesses. Hara
proposed to add values to andselling the shea butter which had
been traditionally produced in thevillage, and provided guidance tothe village women on improving
their sewing skills to create

Part of Proudly from Africa’s fine selection of
fashion items and cosmetics.

garments and bags from African
Print. By selling products withtrue appeal and quality rather
than charity items, the mindset of
Bognayili villagers has graduallychanged.
In 2015, Hara left the Ministryof Foreign Affairs and in 2018
founded SKYAH Co., Ltd.,a company that operates the
shopping site “Proudly fromAfrica.” Exclusively showcasing
the highest quality merchandise
carefully selected by Hara andcurators across Africa, the site
provides the Bognayili womenwith the aim to someday havetheir own products of their
original brands showcased at
Proudly from Africa. “Recently,
even the children in Bognayili are
getting inspired by the women’s
enthusiasm and declaring theirown dream: ‘I want to be aseamstress too!’ One of theobjectives of MY DREAM.org
is to create an environment inwhich the village children candiscover and live their dreams. It
is therefore important that theyfind people around them whomthey can admire as role models.
You could say that Proudly fromAfrica is one of the exit strategies
for MY DREAM,” Hara explains.
If the local children areencouraged to study with dreams
in their hearts, further sustainablebusinesses might sprout up in thevillage in the future. Hara saysthat the frequency of her visits to
Bognayili is gradually decreasing,and her goal is for one day to be
told by the residents of Bognayili,“We can now manage without

HARA YUKARI
Founder & CEO of SKYAH Co., Ltd.,and joint representative director of MY
DREAM.org, a Ghanaian NGO. She
joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in
2009. In 2012, she started activities in
Bognayili Village, Ghana, and founded
MY DREAM.org. After leaving the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2015, she
continued NGO activities while working
in the Johannesburg Branch Office of
Mitsui & Co., Ltd. She became an
independent entrepreneur in 2018.

you coming to the village.” Whenthat day arrives, we can certainly
treat it as the achievement of oneof the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs). 

Women sewing at the MY DREAM Factory in
Bognayili village. The women find various ways torecycle fabrics and save on sourcing materials.

11

HEALTH & WELFARE

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATIONTO SECURE THE HEALTHY LIVES OF

CAMBODIAN
MOTHERS AND
BABIESFor over two decades since the end of Cambodian civil war,
Japan has been providing support to the country in an effort to improvehealthcare for both mothers and newborn infants.
In Cambodia, childbirth isreferred to as chlong tonle, meaning“to cross the river.” The expression
compares giving birth to crossing
a large river, in that you neverknow when you might lose yourlife in the depths and fast-flowing
waters of the river. By the end of
the Cambodian civil war, many
medical facilities had fallen into
disrepair, and many healthcare

professionals and midwives had
lost their lives. A large number of
expectant mothers in Cambodia
thus had no choice but to givebirth at home, and as the namechlong tonle implies, childbirth
was a life-threatening event forthem.
With one of the lowest maternal
and neonatal mortality rates in theworld, Japan was quick to reachJAPAN
CAMBODIA

out to Cambodia, a country thathas been rebuilding its maternaland child health system ever since
its collapse during the civil war.
Japan sent a medical adviser toCambodia’s Ministry of Healthin 1992, one year after the war
ended. And in 1997, it provided
grant aid for the construction of
the National Maternal and Child
Health Center (NMCHC) in thecapital city of Phnom Penh. The
NMCHC currently has a clinicalfunction with about 150 beds
in its obstetrics and gynecology
and neonatal departments, alongwith an administrative functionthat manages maternal and childhealth, as well as a teaching
function that provides necessary
training for midwives, doctors,
and students from all over thecountry. With all these functions
Doctors learn how to use ultrasound to checkthe baby’s heart in the Neonatal Care Unit at the
NMCHC. Midwives, doctors, and students
from across the country have been trained there.

12combined, the NMCHC plays acentral role in maternal and childhealthcare in Cambodia today.
Japan’s support, however, is not
limited to just the constructionof the NMCHC. It started
running a technical cooperation
project in 1995, before the facility
was built, to improve hospitalmanagement, clinical services,and training in Cambodia, withthe aim of developing systems
and human resources for the
NMCHC. Since then, Japan has
been continuing to provide suchsupport, while understanding
the needs of the local people.
This support has contributed toa drop in the maternal mortality
ratio in Cambodia, which was
1,020 per 100,000 live births
in 1990, falling to 437 in 2000,
and to 170 in 2014. It thereby
achieved, ahead of time, the goalof reducing maternal deaths to
250 per 100,000 live births by
the year 2015, as set out by theUnited Nations Millennium
Development Goals. Currently,
over 80% of expectant mothersin the country give birth withskilled birth attendants such as
trained midwives, and awarenessregarding giving birth in healthfacilities is growing, even in rural
areas where many babies have
hitherto been delivered at home.
Moreover, a project was
launched in Cambodia in 2016
to encourage continuum of carefor mothers and their babies.
The project provides training
about necessary care for newborn
infants, such as teaching adequate
timing of cord clamping and giving

A mother with her baby after giving birth at the NMCHC. About 7,500 babies are born each year at
this health center.

advice on initial breastfeeding
just after birth. It also provides
training about treatment methods
for premature and sick babies, aswell as follow-up care for mothers
and their children after leaving thehealth facility. The project’s chief
advisor, Dr. IWAMOTO Azusa,
talks about the importance ofthe project. “The problem about
giving birth is that we don’t know
when a normal birth will become
abnormal. That’s why continuumof care before and after birth isneeded, not just during labor.”
Dr. Iwamoto describes therelationshipbetweenthe
Cambodian staff members who
have been working to improvematernal and child health inresponse to local needs, and theJapanese staff members who
have been helping them withtechnical support, as “colleagues
who have worked hard together.”
She continues, “We share theidea of cooperating to improve
Cambodian maternal and childhealth, rather than the idea of
supporting or being supported.

We are working together on
projects so that mothers andtheir babies can live a better life
together.” The strong bond thathas been built across borders inhope of a healthy life for mothers
and children will no doubt
continue to bridge the river for
many years to come. 

Top: Built in 1997, the NMCHC has been affectionately
nicknamed “the Japan Hospital” by locals.
Bottom: Dr. IWAMOTO Azusa (front row, right) with
Cambodian doctors of the Neonatal Care Unit at the
NMCHC.

13

HEALTH & WELFARE

RESEARCH THAT SAVES US FROM
INFECTIOUS DISEASES:

FIGHTING TB
THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

Tuberculosis is counted as one of the major infectious diseases threatening global health.
A drug developed by a Japanese pharmaceutical company constitutes the first effective new anti-TB drugin about 40 years, paving the way to help conquer the disease completely.

On World TB Day, March 24, 2017, Otsuka Pharmaceutical, in cooperation with South Africa’s Ministry of Health and a non-governmental organization, launched
an access program for delamanid (trade name Deltyba) that is still in progress. The top right image shows one of the first patients to have received the drug.

Tuberculosis (TB), which spread profusely
in the countries of Western Europe during theindustrial revolution, was once a threat to the entire
world. However, from the 19th century onwards,
improvements in living standards and healthcare led
to a decline in the number of persons afflicted withthe disease. Now, TB is considered by people in thosecountries to be a disease of the past. That assumption,
however, is incorrect. According to the Global
TB Report 2020, an estimated 2 billion people are

14

infected with the bacteria that causes TB worldwide.
Even now, 1.4 million people die from the diseaseeach year, making it one of the top 10 causes of deathin the world. In fact, outbreaks sporadically occur
not only in developing countries, but in Westerncountries as well.
Exacerbating the problem in recent years has been
the appearance of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis(MDR-TB) strains that show resistance to existing
TB drugs. At the Kyushu-Okinawa Summit in 2000,

Japan made combating infectious diseases, including
TB, one of the summit’s major agenda topics. Driven
by Japanese initiatives to tackle infectious diseases,
the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis,
and Malaria was formed in 2002. Amid renewed
awareness of TB as a global health problem, an antiTB drug developed by a Japanese pharmaceuticalcompany is offering new hope. The drug in question
is delamanid, which was developed by Otsuka
Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and received regulatory
approval in the EU and Japan in 2014. As the firstnew anti-TB drug in about 40 years, it is proving
to be effective against resistant strains and its use isincreasing throughout the world.
When a standard treatment for TB was establishedin the 1970s, the development of anti-TB drugs
came to a standstill around the world, but Otsuka
Pharmaceutical continued its development. “Patients
must receive TB treatment over a much longer timecompared with other infectious diseases. In quite afew cases, treatment is halted because the side effects
are too severe, and without administering continuous
treatment, its elimination becomes difficult. We
believed that this was a therapeutic field that showed
the promise of improvement from a quality-of-life
perspective as well,” says KAWASAKI Masanori,
Global TB Project leader. “If no one else was going to
do it, we felt that we must continue the research, andthat ultimately led to the development of delamanid.”
Rather than being administered by injection
or drip, delamanid is taken orally. That is a hugeadvantage because oral medicine is much easier forpatients to manage versus injectable drugs. Anotherbenefit of delamanid is that there are few druginteractions with the treatments for HIV/AIDS
or diabetes, meaning it could also be effective forpatients with coexisting medical conditions.
After earning its first approval in Europe in 2014,
delamanid has since been approved in 15 countries,
including South Africa and India. In the RussianFederation, the major pharmaceutical company
R-Pharm was granted licensing rights in 2017 as partof the Eight-Point Cooperation Plan. Furthermore,
as of the end of 2019, the use of delamanid is now
possible in over 100 countries, thanks to an agreementin 2016 between Otsuka Pharmaceutical and theWhen Otsuka Pharmaceutical began drug discovery in 1971, it selected TB as one of its
first research themes. Its untiring research efforts yielded fruit, realizing innovation thathas spurred new drug development.

Stop TB Partnership, an organization established incollaboration with WHO and other partners.
The development of a drug to defeat bacteria thatcause TB strains, which are difficult for antibiotics
to act on, was not easy. The development team at
Otsuka Pharmaceutical was exhaustively selective
when deciding which candidate compounds tochoose as the starting point of the drug discovery
process. Through repeated trial and error, such as
adopting unorthodox drug synthesis methods, theteam finally achieved its goal.
Presently, the team is developing a next-generation
drug candidate that will work by a different
mechanism of action from delamanid. In February
2020, Otsuka Pharmaceutical joined hands with theBill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Gates Medical
Research Institute, Johnson & Johnson, Evotec SE,
and GlaxoSmithKline plc, to set up the “PAN-TB
collaboration,” a consortium established to accelerate
new treatments for TB on a global scale. The company
is providing its knowledge gained so far through TB
research. Assuring us that his team will continue to
direct their efforts toward fighting TB, Kawasaki
says, “As demonstrated by the novel coronavirus
crisis, it is important that all countries cooperate intreating infectious diseases as a global issue. As partof that, our mission is to create an environment where
treatment can be administered to patients easily andmore effectively.” 

Left: Otsuka Pharmaceutical is cooperating on a project to improve TB treatment indeveloping countries. In Indonesia, it is working with a local university to support theevaluation of treatment for TB and MDR-TB.
Right: The Global TB Project, driven by Otsuka Pharmaceutical, is comprised of members
from various countries (photo taken at the Princeton office in the United States).

15

POLICY & DIPLOMACYPROMOTING UNDERSTANDING ONTERRITORY AND
SOVEREIGNTYWITH AN ENHANCED EXPERIENCEThe National Museum of Territory and Sovereignty communicates the facts of and Japan’s position on territory andsovereignty. In order to enhance understandings of these issues, various additions to the displays—from antique
postcards to cutting-edge exhibitions that use projection mapping and AR—have been introduced.

THE
NEW OTANIANAINTERCONTINENTAL
TOKYO

THE
IMPERIAL
PALACETHE NATIONALDIET
BUILDINGTORANOMONSTATION
EXIT 3

THE
OKURA TOKYO

IMPERIAL
HOTEL

TOKYO
STATIONKABUKITHEATRE

TOKYO
TOWER

The National Museum of
Territory and Sovereignty opened in2018 as a communications resource
for accurate comprehension offacts about Japanese territory andsovereignty, as well as the Japaneseposition on those areas. The
museum is located in a convenient
location: just a one-minute walkfrom the Toranomon subway
station, and close to the Imperial
Palace and the National Diet
Building.
The spacious exhibition area

16of about 700 m2 includes threemain sections for the Northern
Territories,
Takeshima,
theSenkaku Islands and other areas.
Noteworthy features include theobjective evidence and the displaysof the allegations made by othernations and Japan’s refutation—aperfect place to review the facts
and deepen your understanding.
Through the use of projection
mapping and AR (augmented
reality), key aspects, such as
historical and present conditions
on the islands, are portrayedvividly. The main contents in
the Museum are available on thewebsite. (https://www.cas.go.jp/
jp/ryodo_eg/taiou/index.html)

The Northern Territories
section has panels to introduce
the history of territorial
determination between Japanand Russia and the details of
the negotiations between thetwo countries, including those
held during the Soviet era. The
projection mapping, which
projects images onto a threedimensional map, visualizes theprocess of the 1945 Soviet Union
invasion and occupation of theNorthern Territories. At the sametime, daily commodities used byresidents of the Four Northern
Islands during the prewar period
are exhibited, showing how theactual life of the islanders was.

Display panels, a monitor showing video images, a diorama of the territory, and other exhibits
comprise the Takeshima section. Evidence and documents substantiating the Japanese refutation arepresented alongside the claims made by ROK.

Visitors are welcomed by Erica-chan, themascot for the Northern Territories.
Admission is free. Located at 3-8-1
Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo.

The section for the Northern
Territories utilizes projection mapping,
helping spectators visualize the processof the Soviet Union invasion andoccupation of the Northern Territories.
There are also displays showing the lifeof Japanese islanders before the war.

The Four Northern Islands haveremained occupied by Russia up
until the present day, without any
legal ground. The Governmentof Japan intends to continue topersistently negotiate with Russia,
in order to conclude a peace treaty
through the resolution of theNorthern Territories Issue.
In the Takeshima section,evidential documents of Japan’s
territorial
sovereignty
overTakeshima prior to World War II
are exhibited in a clear way, together
with claims made by the Republicof Korea (ROK) and Japan’scounter-arguments. In addition,
there are written materials whichshow the recognition of the SF
Peace Treaty that Takeshima is
territory of Japan as well as theillegal occupation by the ROK sidethat is still proceeding.
Takeshima is indisputably an
inherent part of the territoryof Japan, in light of historicalfacts and based on internationallaw, but the illegal occupation
by ROK continues. Japan willcontinue to seek the settlementof the dispute over territorial
sovereignty over Takeshima on
the basis of international law in acalm and peaceful manner.
In the Senkaku Islands section,
panels introduce facts about thehistory of the incorporation of
the Senkaku Islands into Japanese
territory prior to World War II,
and show that, after a postwar
period of administration by theUnited States, administrationrights to Okinawa including
the Senkaku Islands returned toJapan. The fact that Chinese andTaiwanese claims are groundless is
clarified.
There is no doubt that the
Senkaku Islands are clearly an
inherent part of the territory ofJapan, in light of historical facts
and based upon international law.
There exists no issue of territorial
sovereignty to be resolved
concerning the Senkaku Islands.
Japan will act firmly and calmly tomaintain its territorial integrity.
The last display space is titled “Aparting thought,” giving visitors an
opportunity to pause and reflect

on whether the claims of Japanor other nations are correct. Thisis a learning resource for gaining abetter understanding of complex
situations regarding territory andsovereignty and Japan’s response
respecting law and order in theinternational community. 
Top: Tablet computers lent at the Museum
gratuitously provide in English translation of
main parts of the exhibition. Also on the tablets,
Etupirka, a puffin that lives in the North Pacific
Ocean, makes an appearance thanks to AR(augmented reality).
Bottom: In the Senkaku section, the situation
surrounding the Senkaku Islands is introduced
using animated computer graphics from theperspective of the short-tailed albatross, a birdthat lives on Minamikojima Island andKitakojima Island.

17

REGIONAL STRENGTHLOCAL WOMENDRIVECOMMUNITY REVITALIZATION

Hokkaido

Tsugaru Strait

Aomori

Across the Tsugaru Strait, known as Japan’s best tuna-fishing ground,energetic women are working hard to revitalize the communities of
their hometowns.
The Tsugaru Strait runs between Aomori and
Hokkaido Prefectures in the northern part of theJapanese archipelago. It is known for its fishinggrounds, and the town of Oma, Aomori Prefectureis home to one of the most preeminent brands of
bluefin tuna. The Tsugaru Strait Tuna Women’s Club,
who named themselves after this local specialty, areengaged in activities to revitalize their communities.
These women with a vision, residing in Aomori andsouthern Hokkaido Prefectures, banded together in
2014. They have since added to their numbers andnow have nearly 100 active members.
“Each of us women has our own personality, but we
got together like a school of tuna to start up this group.
Our membership comes from every local community
near the Tsugaru Strait, and we publicize each oneof those place’s appeal. In addition to creating moreenergy and wealth for our communities, our group’s

The Tuna Women’s Club is a group of women who have diverse backgrounds and a passion for community revitalization.

18

Top: The Tuna Women’s Club has designed
bento box meals prepared with local specialties.
Right: They also organized tours whereparticipants wear kimono as they visit
neighborhoods with historical buildings.

purpose is to pass on our wonderful hometowns to
the next generation.”
This is how founding members SHIMA Yasuko
and SUGIMOTO Natsuko describe the group.
Shima runs a lumbermill in Oma, while Sugimoto is
the proprietress of a traditional Japanese hot-spring
inn in the town of Matsumae, Hokkaido that has
been running for around 80 years. Both spent sometime living away from their hometowns, but thencame back to take over the family business. The
reason for their focus on stimulating their towns is amajor issue affecting regional locales: “The Hokkaido
Shinkansen (bullet train) opened in 2016, providing
direct high-speed rail access between Tokyoand Hokkaido, but there are no flows of people
connecting the Shinkansen to the towns where welive. The Tuna Women’s Club is trying to encourage
those flows.”
The core of their work is a major project to holdvarious types of experience programs and events inmore than 10 municipalities over several months.
Examples of the activities include tastings of foodfavored by the feudal lords who once ruled theselands centuries ago, tours led by chief monks into
temples normally closed to the public, and exercise
sessions playing a traditional stringed instrumentfrom the Tsugaru region. The original itineraries thewomen designed have earned rave reviews from bothtourists and local residents alike.
The Tuna Women’s Club essentially engages involunteer work only. Because their organization does
not seek to turn a profit, there are no conflicts ofinterest or status, allowing members to concentrate
simply on discussions about making their towns
better. “However, it is important to take action after
discussing. We are willing to work as leaders andwill do our best in any difficulties,” said Shima andSugimoto, smiling.
The Tuna Women’s Club has been an inspiration
to others. Local high school students have started
up town-revitalization projects, while university
students have contacted the club about internshipopportunities. This shows that their work is
impacting the younger generation. Furthermore, theclub’s actions have been commended for increasing
interaction of people traveling between Aomori
and Hokkaido Prefectures. This attention has led toinvitations to talk at speaking engagements acrossJapan. And just like the tuna in the Tsugaru Strait
that have to constantly continue swimming, the Tuna
Women’s Club will keep up their work in a strong,energetic and brilliant fashion. 

SHIMA Yasuko (left) was born in the town of Oma, Aomori Prefecture. After graduatingfrom university, she worked in Tokyo, but later returned to Oma, where she took over thefamily lumber mill. SUGIMOTO Natsuko is from Matsumae, Hokkaido. After working
elsewhere, she returned to her hometown and took over the family business, a traditional
Japanese hot-spring inn visited by guests coming from as far away as other countries.

19

HANS KOGA
Born in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1972.
After working for a yacht builder in
Sweden, he moved to Japan in 2011. Hestudied at a Japanese sword studio inTokyo before moving to Kumamoto
Prefecture in 2015, where he learned thetechnique of Higo-koshirae. Today, heworks as a koshirae craftsman devoted toboth production and restoration.

SWEDEN

Kumamoto(JAPAN)

THE SWEDE INHERITINGTHE SOUL OFJAPANESESWORDCRAFT
Hans Koga, a Swedish craftsman of koshirae (outer sword components) in Kumamoto, is not only helping preserve
traditional techniques but also conveying the soul of the samurai to the world and future generations.

20LIFE & CULTURE

Japanese swords vary instyle depending on theregion. The Higo-koshirae
is a style that marries
function with beauty. It
was established by a local
lord who was also a masterin sado (Tea Ceremony).

The Japanese sword, which
was once a samurai weapon, now
attracts many overseas enthusiasts
as a piece of art. In addition
to being appreciated for its
functionality on the battlefield,
it is also revered for its aesthetic
value. The two major factors that
determine this beauty are thecylindrical saya (sheath), whichhouses the blade, and the tsuka(hilt). Those components ofthe sword are collectively calledkoshirae, and one of the few
craftsmen still actively producing
koshirae is a Swede by the name ofHans Koga.
“When I was a boy, I had
the opportunity to watch ademonstration of iaido (martial
arts using Japanese swords) in
Stockholm, and I was completely
fascinated by the Japanese swords.
With their extraordinary power,
they really seemed to possess thesoul of the samurai,” he recalls.
After graduating from apolytechnic high school, he
worked as a ship carpenter. But
when a major injury forced him
to quit that line of work, hisinterest in Japanese swords wasreignited. He moved to Japan andwhile studying at a sword studio,
he learned about the various

regional styles of koshirae. Amongthem he became particularly
attracted to the Higo-koshirae of
Kumamoto Prefecture in Kyushu,
southwestern Japan (Higo is theold name for Kumamoto).
“The Higo-koshirae have robust
and functional structures withno tolerance for the unnecessary.
But, at the same time, they havean aesthetic quality as refined
as any tea ceremony. And the
proportions of the hilt and theblade are excellent.”
Koga moved to Kumamoto in
2015. While receiving guidancefrom a retired senior craftsman,he also expanded his skill andknowledge by studying oldmasterpieces and materials. Even
after his house was destroyed in
the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake,he says he had no plans to leave
the area.
“I want to continue working topass on this wonderful culture.
I also love the people and natureof Kumamoto, and I admire
everyone’s tenacity in the face of
natural disaster.”
After the earthquake, Koga
built a workshop in a corner of a
traditional house that is over 300
years old. Benefiting from active
promotion using social media, he

has a constant backlog of orders
from both Japan and overseas. He
must work hard to keep up, but henever lowers his standards. “Thekoshirae, which are made using
the same natural materials andtraditional techniques as in theolden days, are guaranteed to lastfor more than one century. They
are labor-intensive, but I hope
to continue putting all my care
into making high-quality pieces
as my lifelong work,” Koga says.
His words clearly indicate thathe shares the strong devotionof the Japanese craftsman who
works hard every day at hiscraft without compromising on
workmanship. The process called tsukamaki (hilt wrapping) involves wrapping
leather cord around the hilt to strengthen it and provide a bettergrip. The diamond-patterned tsukamaki is so solidly wrappedthat it must have been indestructible on the battlefield.

21

LIFE & CULTURE

THE JOY OFCHADOFOUND IN HANDBUILTTEAHOUSES IN MEXICOJAPANMEXICOA Mexican film director who became enchanted with the architectureof Japanese tea houses designed and built two teahouses himself,
where he now teaches chado - the art of Japanese tea ceremony.
A pair of charming teahouses,
Bosen-an and Sunkaraku, makeyou forget that you are in Mexico
City. Here, Mexican film director
Roberto Behar has helped tospread the practice of the Japanese
tea ceremony in Mexico. It wasover 30 years ago when he firstbegan learning about the tea

ceremony. In 2014, during the400th anniversary of a Japanesediplomatic delegation’s journey
to Mexico to negotiate direct
trade between the two lands,
Behar served an important roleas “President of Chado Urasenke
Tankokai Mexico” at a teaoffering ceremony performed by

the Grand Master of Urasenke
Sen Genshitsu Daisosho, one of
the main schools of the Japanese
tea ceremony. Speaking about
the similarities between his workand the tea ceremony, Beharsaid, “There could be points
in common between the roadtoward perfecting each art and
Behar teaches the Japanese tea ceremonyin Sunkaraku.

22

Bosen-an is a teahouse that Behar spent many years
constructing. Its name was given by Ejo Takata Roshi, thefirst person to teach Zen thought in Mexico. “Bosen” is a
Zen term that means “do not misconstrue the means forthe purpose.”their deep esthetics.”
Since he was in his 20s, Behar
has been interested in Japaneseculture, such as Japanese gardens
and the architectural styles seenin shrines and temples. While
traveling in America in the 1980s,
he came across a book on the tea
ceremony. The book came witha free paper model of Taian, ateahouse believed to be a design
by Rikyū, who had a profoundinfluence on the Japanese tea
ceremony. Behar was captivatedby the beauty of the teahouse.
“For someone like me, who loves
Japanese architecture so much,the teahouse is incredibly alluring.
Japanese carpentry has developed
thanks to sophisticated, advanced
techniques, and the teahouseis its pinnacle,” he said. Later,
he decided to actually build ateahouse based on the model. He
spent eight years gathering suitablematerials from all over Mexico. “Iwent out to towns in the middle ofnowhere, where I heard that there
was an abandoned indigenous
people’s settlement. Dust-covered
wood in a seasoned condition
helps create the atmosphere.” To
replicate the design in the book,
Behar collaborated with Mexican
artisans to complete the Bosen-an
teahouse.
After all the hard work creating
the teahouse, Behar wanted next
to give it its own “spirit.” With
that idea in mind, he started
studying in 1987 under Higurashi
Soho, a high-level instructorof the Urasenke school who, at
the time, was teaching the tea
ceremony in Mexico. Speaking
about his first tea gathering, Beharsaid, “I was a novice who didn’t
understand anything about the
profundity of the tea ceremony,
but I was deeply impressed by
the skill with which my teacher
served as the host and the quiet
yet meticulous care he took totreat his guests.” Studying thetea ceremony under his teacher,Higurashi sensei, Behar graduallylearned about its philosophy,
too. “The Zen thought of the tea
ceremony changed the way I viewlife. You could say it had a big
impact on me spiritually, such as

ROBERTO BEHAR
Born in Mexico City, Roberto Behar is afilm director and teaches the tea ceremony
to younger practitioners. In the spring of
2018, he was conferred the Order of the
Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays, aJapanese commendation conferred upon
those who perform a great service for thecountry and the public, as recognition of
his efforts in spreading the tea ceremonyin Mexico.

learning kindness to others andcontrolling one’s anger. That may
be the biggest reason why I havecontinued to perform the tea
ceremony for over 30 years.”
For 13 years now, Behar has
been teaching the tea ceremony
to Mexicans. “My students are
impressed by the tea ceremony’s
profundity and the beauty ofJapanese culture.” Though goingon 80 years old, his passion for thetea ceremony shows no signs ofdiminishing. He said, “Maruoka
Soyo, an Urasenke director andthe teacher assigned to Mexico, isfollowing in Higurashi’s footsteps
and is working to spread the tea
ceremony with a new approach.”Behar goes on, “As I did with
Higurashi sensei, I hope that I canwork with Maruoka sensei so thateven more Mexicans can enjoy thetea ceremony.” 

Left: Behar said he collected his ladle, bowl and other tea ceremony implements from antique shops in Japan.
Right: The inclusion of a rock garden enhances the Japanese ambience.

23

Early Spring 2021

Published by

Edited by

Public Relations Office, Cabinet Office
andOffice of Global Communications, Cabinet Secretariat
1−6−1 Nagatacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
100−8914, Japan

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