The establishment of the Embassy of the Independent State of Samoa to Japan,in Tokyo, 2009.
In early 2008, the Samoa Cabinet made the decision to establish the Embassy ofthe Independent State of Samoa to Japan, in Tokyo. Funds for the implementation of thisdecision were provided in the 2008/09 budget (July 2008-June 2009), and the relevant
government Ministries were instructed to implement this decision during this financial
year. The Samoa government was determined to proceed with the early implementationof its decision even as the global financial crisis started to impact seriously on Samoa’seconomy later in 2008. A timetable to meet the Cabinet’s instructions was set and it wassuccessfully followed leading to the arrival in Tokyo of Samoa’s first Ambassador toJapan during the first week of July 2009.
The decision by the Samoa government to establish Samoa’s Embassy in Tokyo
was not a difficult one to make given the excellent relations which have developed
between Samoa and Japan since diplomatic relations were established between the twocountries in 1973. During the past thirty seven years, Japan has become one of Samoa’smajor development partners, and the two countries have consistently supported eachother in their bilateral, regional and international dealings, most notably in the latter
category, in the United Nations and its many agencies.
Japan has provided Samoa with substantial assistance which has impacted directly
on virtually all spheres of Samoan existence; it has been aid well-targeted and andeffectively applied, and it has clearly improved the lives of the people of Samoa
particularly in the rural areas. As a result, Samoans throughout the country deeply value
and appreciate Japan’s assistance. A few examples: in the field of health, Japan funded
the design and the construction of all the hospitals on the big island of Savaii. It did thesame for the most populous island of Upolu except for the main hospital in the capital ofApia. In the other major social area of education, Japan funded the design and theconstruction of all the facilities (buildings, grounds, roads etc) on the main campus of theNational University of Samoa, and it has contributed the majority part of the funding forthe construction of most of the school buildings throughout Samoa. It has also provided alarge number of scholarship grants for Samoan students to study in Japanese tertiary
institutions as well as provided training for Samoans in both Japan and Samoa. And Japan
has sent many highly skilled Japanese volunteers and specialists to provide support togovernment Ministries and agencies, as well as the private sector.

On maritime matters, Japan is by far Samoa’s principal development partner. All
the wharves at the Matautu port which handles all of Samoa’s international and interisland shipping in Apia were designed and built under Japanese grant aid, and the maininter-island vessels which provide public transportation between the islands of Upolu andSavaii, and between Samoa and American Samoa, have all been provided by Japan. The
latest addition to this fleet, the newly completed Lady Samoa III, was handed to theSamoan government by the Japanese shipbuilding company at Chiba Prefecture in thelast week of January 2010, and it is expected to reach Samoa on her maiden voyage thisweekend (19-20 February 2010). The Lady Samoa III is a magnificent vessel which has
the capacity to carry 740 passengers (＋12 crew members) and 40 vehicles. It will beused mainly on Samoa’s busiest sea route between Upolu and Savaii islands, replacing
the Lady Samoa II, another Japanese funded vessel, which has plied this same route forover 20 years. As a result of this generous assistance by Japan, the people of Samoa fromall walks of life, and of all ages, will enjoy an even more comfortable and safe sea voyage
between the two main islands of Samoa for many years to come.
Like all projects of this kind anywhere in the world, establishing the new Samoa
Embassy in Japan has been enjoyable and frustrating at times. We got off to a terrific startwhen the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed me on my arrival in Tokyo on 7 July2009 that I was to present my credentials as Samoa’s Ambassador to Japan to His Imperial
Highness, Crown Prince Naruhito on 14 July 2009, His Majesty Emperor Akihito being away
on an Imperial visit to Canada at the time. The seven days between arrival and credentials
presentation was an unusually short period for Japan (2-3 months was the normal waitperiod) but, it was a most fortunate arrangement which allowed me to embark immediatelyon establishing the Embassy as a fully-accredited Ambassador to Japan.
Quickly however, we encountered the Japanese Way of doing things which
unfortunately, often meant a lengthy wait for foreigners, including diplomats, for such simple
items as mobile telephones, driver’s licenses, credit cards and so on. On the other hand, tobalance matters out, my wife and I greatly enjoyed Japanese cultural practices, Japanesecuisine and the efficiency, and safe and clean environment of the Tokyo public transportsystem, in particular the trains and the metro. And we thoroughly enjoyed the quality of thegoods and services when they were finally delivered.
We have also been most fortunate in having the extraordinarily effective hands-on
assistance and support of the highly skilled and very patient Mr. Matsuda of the PacificInternational company. We would like to thank Matsuda san, Mrs. Oishi and the other staff
members of Pacific International. Their assistance was made possible by the President of thecompany, Mr. Oishi who is Samoa’s official trade and tourism representative in Japan. My
special thank you to Oishi san.
Staff members of Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, particularly those of theOceania and the Protocol Divisions have been most helpful to us as we went about
establishing the new Embassy in Tokyo. They continue to assist and support Samoa’sEmbassy. We are most grateful them. Many other institutions and individuals in Japan havehelped in the establishment of Samoa’s new Embassy, and we thank them all sincerely for
their invaluable assistance and support.
The Ambassador’s residence and the Counsellor’s accommodation were secured,furnished and occupied by August/September last year. The chancery, at Chuo-ku, became
operational in early August 2009, and it was officially opened on 29 January 2010 by theSamoa Minister of Works, Transport and Infrastructure, with the Hon. Chinami Nishimura,
Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, delivering a speech on behalf of thegovernment of Japan.
I would like to take this opportunity to invite the members of the JICA SAMOA OB
Association to visit the chancery of Samoa’s Embassy in Tokyo and share stories and a drinkof tea with us when you have time.
Soifua