Biannual News Letter

After

Prime

MinisterShinzoAbe’ssuccessful visit to Ethiopia, we have

Message from the Ambassador

witnessed a growing positive image ofEthiopia among the Japanese public. The
official visits of Speaker Abadula Gemeda
and other high level officials of Ethiopia toJapan have further strengthened the excellent
relations between Ethiopia and Japan. In theyear 2014, our Embassy organized asuccessful agribusiness seminar in May and alight manufacturing workshop in November.
We have witnessed a growing interest by
Ethiopia is a land of unique features with aJapanese

Ethiopia.

Thelong history of existence and home to thegovernment, recognizing that thericholdest human settlement. It is also a melting

potential resource of the country can only be

pot of diverse cultures where people fromachieved in collaboration with our private

different ethnic and religious backgrounds

sectorlive in harmony.

Ethiopia has achieved

improving the Investment Codes in favor of

considerable success in economic growth andinvestors in order to attract more investors.

social transformation in the last few decades.

Tax holidays and other incentives have been

By registering a strong high growth rate overintroduced. We will continue to work to

the last ten consecutive years, Ethiopia has

strengthen

become one of the fastest growing economies

engagement in Ethiopia in the years to come.

in Africa. Japan has been one of the majorinternational

development

partnersofEthiopia, and I would like to express my deep
gratitude for Japan's continued economic
assistance for our country’s development
endeavors.

companies

partners,

hasJapanesein

beencontinually

privatesectorOver the last 6 months, our embassy has
participated

in

the

CoffeeExhibition

organized by Specialty Coffee Association ofJapan, the Tourism Showcase organized by
the Japan Association of Travel Agents, theEthiopian Light Manufacturing Workshop,

Embassy of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in Tokyo
Takanawa Kaisei Bldg 2Fl. 3-4-1, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0074 Japan1

Biannual News Letterand the 50th Anniversary of the Tokyo
Olympics which also commemorated Abebe
Bikila’s historic marathon victory.
Our semiannual newsletter covers featuresand news, informative articles on tourism,
trade and investment, and includes an article
on Ethio-Japan relations.
It is my sincere hope that you will be able tobetter understand Ethiopia and the activitiesof our Embassy from this newsletter. I wish

The Speaker appreciated the government ofJapan for extending its support to thedevelopment efforts of Ethiopia through theJapan International Cooperation Agency

for a jubilant 2015!

(JICA), stressing that continuous assistanceMarkos T. Rike, Ph.D

through JICA makes a crucial contribution toAmbassador of Ethiopia to Japanthe economic development of Ethiopia.
The Speaker told Prime Minister Abe that theJapanese business philosophy of Kaizen

Features and News

introduced to Ethiopia had helped tostrengthen the business culture of the

Speaker of the Ethiopian parliamentdeveloping

meets Prime Minister of Japan (October
2014)

Ethiopianmanufacturingindustries, and urged the government ofJapan to encourage private sector investment

The Speaker of the House of People`sin Ethiopia. They also exchanged views on

Representatives, Abadula Gemeda, met withpartnership of Japan and Africa through thePrime Minister Shinzo Abe in October. Their

Tokyo International Conference on African

discussion covered bilateral and international

Development (TICAD). TICAD summits

cooperation between Ethiopia and Japan, thehave been serving as a forum to bringthreat of Ebola to the African continent andtogether African governments and Japan

Japanese

together and have been held in Japan every

government

development of Ethiopia.

supportforthefive years. This has now been changed to

Embassy of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in Tokyo
Takanawa Kaisei Bldg 2Fl. 3-4-1, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0074 Japan2

Biannual News Letter

every three years with hosting alternatingwish to partner with Ethiopia on bilateral andbetween Africa and Japan, to deepen theinternational issues.

dialogue and strengthen cooperation.
Prime Minister Abe said the government ofJapan would continue its multifaceted
development

assistancedevelopment

efforts.

toEthiopia`s

Expressing

thecommitment of the government of Japan, thePrime Minister said it would maintain JICA’s
support for the implementation of Kaizen
management

philosophy

inEthiopianmanufacturing

companies

toenhancetechnology transfer, improve productivity
and efficiency. JICA has long supported
Ethiopia with technical assistance andeconomic cooperation, which mainly focuseson enhancing food security for small-holder
farmers,increasing

drinking

water

accessibility, developing infrastructure suchas building road and bridges, improving
education access and quality, and private

During the 5 day visit the Speaker led an
Ethiopian parliamentary delegation and heldtalks with the President of House ofCounselors, the Speaker of the House ofRepresentatives and the Chairman of theJapan-Africa Parliamentary League. The twosides

exchanged

views

on

deepening

Ethiopia-Japan parliamentary friendship andcooperation. The Ethio-Japan Parliamentary
Friendship Groups were established in Japanand Ethiopia in 1985 and 1997 respectively.

sector development. Prime Minister Abe also
pointed out that the current outbreak of Ebola
in West Africa poses a challenge for Africa
and the world in general, expressing theJapanese government’s support, throughOromia Regional State President meets
Prefectural Governors and JICA officials(November 2014)

international organisations, for halting the

A delegation led by the Oromia Regional

spread of Ebola. He also emphasized Japan’sState President Muktar Kedir met with theGovernorsofKanagawa

and

Aichi

Embassy of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in Tokyo
Takanawa Kaisei Bldg 2Fl. 3-4-1, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0074 Japan3

Biannual News Letter

Prefectures andofficials of the Japanhighlighted

the

range

of

investment

International Cooperation Agency (JICA) toopportunities suitable in Oromia particularly

establish partnerships and foster cooperation

for small and medium size enterprises andwith Japanese prefectural governments andwelcomed investors from Aichi Prefecture to

JICA in various spheres,.

consider opportunities in manufacturing,

In a meeting held with Mr. Yuki Kuroiwa,
Governor of Kanagawa Prefecture, thePresident expressed Oromia`s keen interest to
partner with the prefectural government andcalled for further cooperation regarding
business and investment activities. The
Kanagawa Governor for his part said theprefectural

government

encouraged

Kanagawa companies to follow in thefootsteps of Hiroki, the successful Yokohama
private company manufacturing leather andleather

products

inEthiopia.

Detailed

discussions sought to share experiences andexpertise in various areas of common
interest.
In a discussion held with Mr. Hideaki
Ohmura, Governor of Aichi Prefecture, andboth sides exchanged views on strengthening
ties by twinning the regional governments.
Since Kaizen philosophy was pioneered in
Aichi Prefecture, home for many leading
manufacturing companies in Japan, Mr.
Muktar said that Oromia regional state hasmuch to learn from Aichi Prefecture. He also

agribusiness, agriculture, pharmaceutical andother sectors.

Mr. Muktar also invited

Governor Kuroiwa to visit Oromia Regional
State

with

representatives

of

Aichi

businesses. Governor Kuroiwa said such avisit would strengthen relations between
Oromia and Aichi would consider visiting
Oromiaregionfollowing

further

consultation. Both sides agreed to consider
the opening of an investment promotion deskin their respective capitals to encourage andsupport

trade

and

investment.

has

had

many

Prefecture

Aichi

successful

experiences from such cooperation with East
Asian countries.
The Oromia Regional State delegation also
held discussions with JICA Vice President
Mr.

HiroshiKatoregardingJICA

development projects in Ethiopia and Oromia
Regional State in particular. The President,
recognizing JICA’s support in Ethiopia,
requested an expansion of the successfully
implemented

JICA

forestmanagement

project in Belete-Gera regional forest to otherEmbassy of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in Tokyo
Takanawa Kaisei Bldg 2Fl. 3-4-1, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0074 Japan4

Biannual News Letterparts of Oromia region. The Vice President

Embassy.

Speakingon

thisoccasion,

express JICA’s commitment to continue toAmbassador Dr. Markos Tekle said the

support Ethiopia`s development endeavor

volume of Ethiopian coffee exports to Japanand to work closely with Oromia. The Kaizen

has been increasing year on year. A

program for private sector development andrepresentative of the Ethiopian Coffee

Abe initiative were also discussed.

Exporters Association told coffee buyers
stressed the high quality of Ethiopia’s coffee

Ethiopian coffee exporters take part in
SCAJ Exhibition (September 2014)

beans they are selling Japanese coffee buyers.
20 Ethiopian coffee exporters met Japanese

Coffee exporters from the Ethiopian coffee
exporters association took part in this year`sSpecialty Coffee Association of Japancoffee buyers.
Country promotion on JATA Tourism
EXPO Japan (September 2014)(SCAJ) World Specialty Coffee Conference
and Exhibition 2014. This major coffee

The Ethiopian Embassy in Japan together

industrycoffeewith several Ethiopian travel companies

suppliers and buyers from around the world.

attended JATA (Japan Association of Travel

It offers participating coffee exporters an

Agents)opportunities to meet many Japanese coffee

Ethiopia is blessed with abundant historical,

importers.

natural, archeological and cultural tourist

event

bringstogether

attractions

Tourism

with

EXPO

ten

Japan

UNESCO

2014.

World

Heritage Sites.

Ethiopian coffee exporters who attended
SCAJ 2014 had a private opportunity toengage with Japan coffee buyers during alunch reception hosted by the Ethiopian
Embassy of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in Tokyo
Takanawa Kaisei Bldg 2Fl. 3-4-1, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0074 Japan5

Biannual News Letter

As the largest travel industry event in themarathon victory by legendary athlete Abebeworld, JATA offered a great opportunity for

Bikila at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 1964.

Ethiopia to showcase

its rich tourist

He added that this conference would help

attractions and provide travel information to

enable Africa and Ethiopia in particular to

Japanese visitors. Ethiopia has been named as

exchange information on many businessone of the top countries to visit by many

opportunities with Japanese companies.

reputable travel publications focused on the
country’s rich tourist attractions. Although
the numbers number of tourists from Japan is
not yet large, but is increasing steadily. The
Ethiopian Airlines direct flights to Narita arescheduled to start operations in April, andtogether with thethe rapid development of thehospitality industry in Ethiopia, the numbersof tourists is expected to increase.
Ethiopia's double-digit economic growthduring the past decade makes it one ofJapan Africa Business Conference on theoccasion

of

Abebe

Bikila’s

50th

Anniversary of Tokyo Olympic Marathon

Africa's best performing economies, he said.
The many available investment opportunities
in manufacturing, pharmaceutical, textile,agro-processing

Victory (October 2014)

explained

to

and
the

agribusinessparticipants

by

were
the

With the aim of encouraging more trade andAmbassador, welcoming investment byinvestment between Japan and Africa, theJapanese companies into these value-added

Japan Africa business conference with thesectors promoting job creation and skills

initiative of the Ethiopian embassy anddevelopment. A JETRO representative also

Kyodo News held in October 16, 2014 inmade a keynote speech focusing on businessTokyo.

conference

opportunities in Ethiopia and Africa in

Ambassador Dr. Markos Tekle noted it was

general. Nine African ambassadors andheld in the midst of 50th anniversary of therepresentatives

Addressing

the

of

Africanmissions

Embassy of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in Tokyo
Takanawa Kaisei Bldg 2Fl. 3-4-1, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0074 Japan
6

Biannual News Letter

explained their respective country`s business
opportunities to over 30 Japanese companies
in attendance. Following the conference theparticipants in attendance had an opportunity
to network and exchange information.
The 50th Anniversary of Abebe Bikila`s
Marathon

Triumph

at

the

Tokyo

Olympics (October 2014)
In October, it was 50 years since our great
athlete Abebe Bikila made history, winning

One of the largest marathon events in Japan,

his second consecutive marathon gold medal

thein at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. He

commemorated his achievements with awas not only a hero for Ethiopians, but also

especially dedicated race. The "Abebe Cup"

for Africans and the whole world. Abebe is

was awarded to the winners of the Men’s and

also

elder

Women’s races by Mr. Yetnate, Abebe’s son.

generations who remember his strength andEthiopian Airlines also awarded a round trip

endurance during the 1964 Olympics. To

air ticket to visit Ethiopia as a prize to thecommemorate his personal triumph, various

winners.

famous

in

Japan

among

Chiba

Aqualine

Marathon

events were held in the presence of his
daughter Ms. Tsige and his son Mr. Yetnayet
who came to Japan to attend the celebrations.

The

commemorationof

Abebe’sachievements concluded with a reception
hostedfollowing

the

Chiba

Aqualine

Embassy of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in Tokyo
Takanawa Kaisei Bldg 2Fl. 3-4-1, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0074 Japan
7

Biannual News Letter

Marathon. In a speech on the occasion,

Light manufacturing investment

Ambassador Dr. Markos Tekle said although

workshop (November 2014)

the

Abebe

Bikilaandhissporting

achievements are well-known to seniorJapanesecitizens

acrossJapan,

thisanniversary and the events had provided agreat opportunity to create awareness of hisAbusinessworkshop

designedtocommunicate and discuss the wealth ofbusiness opportunities available in the lightmanufacturing sector in Ethiopia was held inTokyo in November..

achievements to the younger generation in
Japan. The Ambassador also highlighted that

Opening the workshop Ambassador Dr.

the relationship between Ethiopia and Japan

Markos Tekle highlighted a series of reforms

has become stronger and deeper than evertobefore. , He noted that the late Abebe would

Ambassador underscored the keen desire ofbeJapanesethe Ethiopian government to attract Japanesecommunity and his legacy could be a bridge

small and medium enterprises, noting that thecontributing to a broadening of ties between

government of Japan and Ethiopia had

the two nations. Mr. Yetnayet also expressed

instituted a mechanism for policy dialogue tohis personal gratitude for the people andfacilitate a conducive business environment

government of Japan for honoring Abebe andfor investors from Japan. He appealed tohis family. “Japan is my second country” heattendees to invest in value-added sectors

said.

such as manufacturing, pharmaceutical,

remembered

among

the

accelerate

economic

growth..

The

textile, agro-processing, agribusiness leather
Members of Parliament, the family of Abebe
Bikila, ambassadors from African countries,

and leather products, particularly those that
promote job creation and skills development.

government officials, business communities,
Ethiopian

The State Minister of Industry from Ethiopia,

communities living in Japan and others

Mr. Sisay Gemechu, spoke about businessattended this event.

andmedia,

friendsofEthiopia,

investment

manufacturing

opportunities
sectors

and

in

light

said

“the

government`s commitment to support private
sector development and improved investment

Embassy of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in Tokyo
Takanawa Kaisei Bldg 2Fl. 3-4-1, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0074 Japan
8

Biannual News Letter

environment

makes

destination

for

a

good

representative of UNIDO investment andbusinessandtechnology promotion of Tokyo Office andinvestments.” In addition the State Ministeradvisor for interested Japanese companies

emphasized the benefits of investing inalso made a presentation.

manufacturing
Ethiopia’s

Ethiopia

doing

industries
industrial

explaining

strategy

andinstitutional arrangements, low-cost andEthiopian Embassy Marks Ethiopia’s 9th

young labor, abundant resource, cheap power

Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Day

supply and the development of Industrial(December 2014)

Zones to help shorten lead-times required to

The 9th Ethiopian Nations, Nationalities andbuild plants and start production.

Peoples Day was colorfully celebrated on
Saturday, December 13, 2014 with the themeof “our constitutionally accentuated nationaltie for our renaissance” and attended by
Ethiopian communities living in Japan,
African ambassadors, African communities,
travel agents and friends of Ethiopia.

Prof. Kenichi Ohno and Prof. Izumi Ohno of
GRIPS

who

lead

the

Japan-Ethiopia

industrial policy dialogue made presentations
focused on

the business

opportunities

Ethiopia offers Japanese companies in the
manufacturing. In their presentations theyhighlighted low tolerance of corruption, lowlabor cost, available resources and growing
domestic demand as critical factors thatindicate that Ethiopia is a better location thanEthiopia celebrates the Nations, Nationalities
and Peoples Day every year to mark the
adoption of our constitution which protects
the rights of the various Ethiopian Nations,
Nationalities and Peoples and reflects themany East Asian countries to do business.
Mr.

Tadese

Daba,

the

Addis

Ababa

Embassy of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in Tokyo
Takanawa Kaisei Bldg 2Fl. 3-4-1, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0074 Japan
9

Biannual News Letter

beauty within the diversity and unity ofcountries including the visit of the Prime

Ethiopia.

Minister of Japan and the Speaker of theEthiopianParliamentemphasized

the

in

2014,

determination

of

and
the

Japanese government to further advance
relations with Ethiopia in order to be astronger development partner and to deepen
the relationship between the east African
region and Africa as a whole.
In his welcoming speech Ambassador Dr.
Markos Tekle said the constitution ratified 20
years

ago

was

the

best

means

of

accommodating multi-national and multiethnic diversity within Ethiopia and laid afoundation for today`s rapid economic
development. In an effort to attain middle
incomecountry

status

by

2025

the

Speaking at the celebrations Mr. Mesay
Shiferaw, Area Manager of Ethiopian
Airlines in Japan said that the launch of theirdirect flight to Narita in April would help
promote tourism, exchange of culture andsmooth movement of people and goods andwill bring Africa and Japan much closer.

Ambassador underscored the decisive role

Investment

Ethiopian communities residing in JapanWhy Invest in Ethiopia?

could play, urging the communities inattendance to strengthen their contribution.
Mr. Hiroyasu Kobayashi, ambassador in
charge of RECs, peace and security in Africa,in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japanacclaimed the government of Ethiopia for its
arduous efforts to develop the country byuniting over 80 different nationalities. These
multi-ethnic and multi-religious nations havebeen and are living in harmony for millennia.

Ethiopia is located in the north-eastern part ofAfrica, commonly known as the Horn ofAfrica, at the cross-roads between Africa, theMiddle East and Asia. The country has arelatively stable political and economic
environment. It is considered a gate way toAfrica as the seat for the African Union, theEconomic Commission for Africa and many
otherinternationalandmultinationalorganizations.

He highlighted the official visits of both
Embassy of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in Tokyo
Takanawa Kaisei Bldg 2Fl. 3-4-1, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0074 Japan10

Biannual News Letter

4800 products currently eligible under the
Ethiopia has a large and young population of

GSP.

95 million and is potentially one of the largest
domestic markets in Africa. The economy is

Ethiopia is endowed with abundant natural

predominantly based on agriculture, which

resources. Altitude in Ethiopia ranges fromcontributes approximately 41% of the gross

125 meters below sea level in the Danakil

domestic product (GDP), more than 75% ofdepressions of the Afar region to 4,620

foreign currency earnings and employedmeters above sea level in the Amhara region.

more than 80 % of population. The country is

The country has 18 major and 49 sub agro-

among the top performing economies in Sub-ecological

Saharan Africa. For the last ten consecutive

agricultural and biological potential. It

years (2003/4-2012/13) real GDP grew by anpossesses one of the largest and most diverse

average of more than 10% percent per year.

genetic resources in the world. Besides, it has

Moreover,the soils and the climate suitable for the

Ethiopiaisamemberof

COMESA and enjoys preferential market

zones,

each

with

its

own

production of a variety of food crops.

access.
The labor law of Ethiopia, prepared in
Ethiopia qualifies for preferential access toconformity with international labor norms

European Union market under the EU’s

and standards, provides adequate provisions

Everything-But-Arms (EBA) initiative and tofor the conclusion and termination of

USA markets under the African Growth andemployment contracts with safeguards that

Opportunities Act (AGOA). Accordingly,

do not infringe the rights of investors. Labor

most Ethiopian products can enter thesecost in Ethiopia is relatively low compared tomarkets quota and duty free. Furthermore, a

the African average. The number of skilled

broad range of manufactured goods fromworkers and technicians are growing steadily

Ethiopia are entitled to preferential accessas a result of an increase in the number ofunder the Generalized System of Preference

universities, colleges, and vocational and(GSP) of the USA. No quota restrictions aretechnical training schools in the country.

placed on Ethiopian exports falling under theThe

EthiopianGovernment

has

made

Embassy of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in Tokyo
Takanawa Kaisei Bldg 2Fl. 3-4-1, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0074 Japan11

Biannual News Letter

commendable efforts, through legislative andproximity to the lucrative markets of theprocedural

Middle East, Europe and Asia

reforms,

toimprovetheinvestment climate of the country andtherebyattract

more

foreignCompetitive

directpackages ;investment. In line with market-oriented

Welcoming

economic policy, the investment regime has
beenliberalized

throughaseriesofGovernment legislations. Since 1992, theinvestment

incentive

attitude of the people to

FDI;Huge domestic raw material base andPleasant climate and fertile soils.

investment code has been revised four times
to ensure the participation of more foreign
investments in various sectors of theeconomy.

Admission and Incentives of Investment
Policy of Ethiopia.
Admissions

attractive

 Foreign investors can invest on their own

destination for the investors because of theor in partnership with domestic investors

following reasons.

in areas open for FDI;

Ethiopia

has

been

a

very

 No restrictions on equity ownership inEthiopia as a land of opportunities:

joint-venture investment; Required to have investment permit from

Political and social stability;

the Ethiopia Investment commission /EIC/

Liberalized free market economy
Macro-economic stability and growing

appropriate;

economy;Adequate guarantees and protections;Transparent

laws

and

streamlined

 USD 200,000 for a wholly foreign USD 150,000 for joint with a domestic

Ample investment opportunities;

investor

Abundant and trainable labor force;

domestic,

international

 Required to allocate minimum capital:-

owned single investment projectprocedures;Wideand relevant government organs asmarketregional

andopportunity; USD

100,000

fortechnical

consultancy if wholly owned or USD
50,000 jointly with a domestic investor

Embassy of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in Tokyo
Takanawa Kaisei Bldg 2Fl. 3-4-1, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0074 Japan
12

Biannual News Letter Guaranteeor Additional tax holiday of 2 and 4 years tonationalization (The Constitution and

IZ resident enterprises in Addis Ababa (its

Investment Law provides guarantee forvicinity) and 40km away respectively.

againstexpropriation

investors.)
 Signatory

of

MIGA

and

Bilateral

Investment Promotion and Protection
Treaties.

Tourism
Ethiopia, Land of Amazing History

 Privilege to full repatriation of profits,dividends, principal and interest payments

Ethiopia has a proud and long history

on external loan, etc. out of Ethiopia in

extending to the known beginnings ofconvertible currency.

humankind. The Axumite kingdom was one

 The right to employ expatriate managers
and experts.

and has left behind the mystery of the great Exemption from the payment of customs
duty

on

of the great civilizations of the ancient world

imported

capitalstelae found at Axum city.

goods,

construction materials;
Incentives

forIndustrial

Zone

(IZ)

Developers:
The Government of Ethiopia identified four
Locations

for

the

Industrial

Zone

development: Addis Ababa, capital andbusiness city of Ethiopia, Kombolcha (northof Addis Ababa, 400km), Dire-Dawa (nearDjibouti port, 300km), Hawassa (South of
Addis Ababa, 275 km).
 Tax holiday of 10 and 15 years to IZ
developers in Addis Ababa (its vicinity)and 40km away respectively.

Situated in the highlands of northern
Ethiopia, Aksum symbolizes the wealth andimportance of the civilization of the ancient
Aksumite kingdom, which lasted from the 1st

Embassy of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in Tokyo
Takanawa Kaisei Bldg 2Fl. 3-4-1, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0074 Japan13

Biannual News Letterto the 8th centuries AD. The kingdom was at

set out to construct in the 12th century a ‘New

the crossroads of the three continents: Africa,

Jerusalem.’Arabia and the Greco-Roman World, and was
the most powerful state between the Eastern
Roman Empire and Persia.
Several stelae survive in the town of Aksum
dating between the 3rd and 4th centuries AD.
The largest standing obelisk rises to a heightof over 23 meters and is exquisitely carved torepresent a nine-storey building of the
Aksumites. The largest obelisk of some 33
meters long lies where it fell. It is possibly thelargest monolithic stelae that ancient humanbeings ever attempted to erect.

There are several stories surrounding thecreation of the churches, one of which says

A series of inscription on stone tablets havethat humans worked during the day andproved to be of immense importance toangelshistorians of the ancient world. Some of themovernight. Some historians say construction

include trilingual text in Greek, Sabaean andwas completed at a remarkable pace, taking

Ge'ez (Classical Ethiopian), inscribed byabout 23 years.

would

speed

up

the

building

King Ezana in the 4th century AD.
Carved out of volcanic tuff rock, the famous
In the late middle Ages, great religious

churches have been built in a variety ofcivilizations flourished in many parts ofstyles. Some of them were chiseled into the

Ethiopia, particularly at Lalibela where

face of the rock, where others stand as

eleven churches hewn out of massive

isolated blocks, like the iconic church ofmonolithic rock testify not only to great faithSaint George, constructed in the shape of the

but also to great architectural skills. Theircross. A complex and extensive system ofbuilding is attributed to King Lalibela who

drainage ditches, tunnels and subterranean

Embassy of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in Tokyo
Takanawa Kaisei Bldg 2Fl. 3-4-1, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0074 Japan
14

Biannual News Letter

passageways

connects

the undergroundstructures.

mineral products.

Christian pilgrims from the entire country
gather to the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela
to attend ceremonies and rituals during
different

flowers, textiles, natural gum, spices andreligious

holidays

including

Ethiopian Christmas.

The trade relations between Ethiopia andJapan have been strengthened over the years.
As a primary trading partner, Ethiopia has
been exporting some of its products likecoffee,oilseeds,

cutflowers,leather

products, bee wax, etc. to the JapaneseThanks to their impressive architecture andmarket.

rich influence on Ethiopian history, both
Axum Obelisk and Rock Hewn Churches of

Ethiopia’s coffee, known as “Mocha Coffee”

Lalibela have been registered as UNESCO

is famous in Japan, and currently ranked 6th

World Heritage Sites.

in Japanese market.

Trade
Ethiopia’s Export Products

More genetically diverse strains of Coffee
Arabica exist in Ethiopia than anywhere elsein the world, which has lead botanists andConducive free market oriented policy

scientists to agree that Ethiopia is the center

environment, wide-ranging weather and soilof origin, diversification and dissemination

conditions, abundant and capable labor force,of the coffee plant.

preferential access to different world markets

For coffee specialists, Ethiopian coffee is not

and proximity to the Middle-East and Europe

only the world’s first, but also the world’s

offers substantial market opportunities forfinest. Harar coffee, with its distinctive

several export items from Ethiopia.

mocha flavor, Sidamo Coffee, known for its

The major export products of Ethiopia

balanced taste and good flavor, Yirgacheffe

include coffee, livestock products (Skins &Coffee, which has an intense flora flavor andhides, leather, live animals and meat), oilwine taste are among major varieties popularseeds and pulses, fruits, vegetables andin Japan.

Embassy of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in Tokyo
Takanawa Kaisei Bldg 2Fl. 3-4-1, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0074 Japan15

Biannual News Letter

Ethiopian oilseeds and pulses are also known

products are rapidly expanding and sought tofor their flavor and nutritional value as they

get more access in the global market soon.

aremostlyproducedorganically.

For

instance, the Ethiopian white sesame seed is
used

as

a

referenceforgrading

ininternational markets. It has been the second
largest export commodity of Ethiopia toJapan.
Ethiopia’s major oilseeds and pulses exports
include, sesame seed, Niger seeds, linseeds,
sunflower seeds, groundnuts, rape seeds,
castor oil seeds, pumpkin seeds, haricot
beans, pea-beans, horse beans, chick peas,beans and lentils
Ethiopia is endowed with extensive natural
resources that make the country suitable forthe development of different varieties offlowers, vegetables, fruit, and herbs. Such
suitability of the country helped to bringexponential growth of export in the last sevenyears, making Ethiopia the fourth largest
supplier of flower to the world market. The
horticulture export industry has contributed
about 10% of the total earnings of the country
in 2013/2014.
Currently, the export from manufacturingsector is registering promising growth.
Manufacturing of textile, apparel and leather

Embassy of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in Tokyo
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Biannual News Letter

amongst the educated in Ethiopia from the

ARTICLE

early 20th century that the term “Japanizers”

Ethio-Japan Relations: Lessons andProspects

forCooperation

andFriendshipwas coined to refer those intellectuals
inspired by the Meiji restoration thatcompared the country with Japan andencouraged young and educated Ethiopians

Japan and Africa met in China and Asia sincethe 17th century and traded goods. Ethiopian
intellectuals had picked up fragments of
information about Japan since the Meiji
Restoration. Ethiopia’s name was written in
Japan’s Foreign Ministry documents in 1896
shortly after the defeat of Italy at Adwa andthe news of the First Sino-Japan war washeard in Ethiopia around the same period.
The first pamphlet about Africa waspublished in Japan in 1899 by Dr. Tomizu
Hirondo with title “The Future of Africa”
advocating Japanese involvement in Africa(Clark, 2011).

createamodernization

movement

something like the Meiji Restoration. These
intellectuals had advocated for more reformoftheEthiopian

imperial

regime.

Accordingly, the framers of the 1931
Constitution of Ethiopia were inspired by andincluded ideas and principles from the Meiji
constitution. During this period, three notable
Ethiopian writers and their works were very
influential.

They

were

Gebrehiwot

Bayikedagn (Nigidina Yehizib Astedader: the
State

and

Economy,

1924)

Heruy

Woldeselassie (Dai-Nihon and Mahidere
Birhan: Hager Japan 1934) and KebedeMichael (Japan Endet Seletenech?: “How

Ethio-Japan relations were formalized by thesigning of the Treaty of Amity andCommerce in 1930 which followed the visitof the Ethiopian Foreign Minister Heruy
Woldesellassie.

to

In

1934

Japanesegovernment sent Yutaka Tsuchida on an
inspection tour of Ethiopia (Bradshaw and
Ransdell, 2011). However, the interest in andstudy of Japan became so widespread

Did Japan Modernize?).
Ethiopia

and

Japan

have

enjoyedlongstanding ties. Full diplomatic relations
began in

1935, when bothcountries

established legations in each other's capitals.
Inthepost-WWII

period,diplomatic

relations were restored in 1955, with asubsequent visit by Emperor Hailesilassie in

Embassy of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in Tokyo
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Biannual News Letter

1958, followed by the opening of the1984 reflects sustained Japanese support..

Ethiopian Embassy in Tokyo and a Japanese

Bilateral relations reopened with high levelEmbassy in Addis Ababa. The creation of avisits by Ethiopian Foreign Minister in 1992

Japanese garden in Addis Ababa’s imperial

and an official visit by the Prime Minister

garden reflects the depth of interest and ties.

Meles Zenawi in 1996.

Diplomatic and commercial ties

werebolstered by the visit of the then Crown
Prince and Princess of Japan’s visit toEthiopia. During the 1964 Tokyo Olympic
Games, Abebe Bikila’s marathon victorycaught the public imagination in Japan andplayed a great role in bringing greater popularawareness of Ethiopia (and Africa) in Japan.
Ethio-Japan relations reached their pre-1974
peak with the visit of Emperor Haileselassie
to the Osaka Expo in 1970. The pre-1974
relations between the two countries aredefined in terms of business, political

During this period, Ethio-Japan cooperationand partnership has grown and prospered.
The Sasakawa Global 2000 (SG 2000)
became engaged in the Ethiopian agricultural
sector. JICA began to re-engage in various
areas including agriculture, water resources,
health, education, physical infrastructure,
forestmanagement

andenvironmental

protection, capacity building and civil society
support, providing grants and technicalassistance as well as technology transfer
through granting scholarships.

cooperation and close ties between the royal

Currently, various diplomatic exchanges andfamilies of both countries.

ties in multiple areas of cooperation haveelevated Ethio-Japan relations to the current

The diplomatic relations and human relations
between Ethiopia and Japan faced various

all-time high level.

challenges between 1974 and 1991because ofToday, Japan has become one of the mostthe ideological orientation and dictatorial

reliable development partners of Ethiopia,

nature of the revolutionary regime insupporting its development endeavor in line

Ethiopiawith its policy priorities. JICA’s grassroots

thatoverthrew

theimperial

government after 1974.
During this very difficult period, the visit ofForeign Minister Shintaro Abe to Ethiopia indevelopment

activities

areimpactingmillions of people in Ethiopia. The champion
product concept which resulted from theEmbassy of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in Tokyo
Takanawa Kaisei Bldg 2Fl. 3-4-1, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0074 Japan18

Biannual News Letter

policy dialogue is serving numerous SMEs in

Association of Ethiopia has been recently

Ethiopia to come up with best products withestablished and is becoming importantcomparative advantages.

gathering to promote the image of Japan in

Ethiopia has widely adopted the Kaizen
system, a Japanese technique meaning“quality

controlinindustry”

1986). Through(Imai,

continuous

improvement, selectedindustries

have

succeeded in enhancing their industrial

Ethiopia. Multiple friends of Ethiopia inJapan, those who have experience in living
Japan and in Ethiopia as well as Ethiopian
students who have studied in Japan all playtheir part in bolstering relations between two
countries

quality and productivity (Tadesse, 2013).

There will be more prospects for business andEthiopia also adopted a “National Kaizen

investment. Kaizen and other people toMovement’ intended to apply Kaizen in all

people interaction between Ethiopia andindustries and institutions in Ethiopia.

Japan are the base for future cooperation.

KAIZEN is becoming the core philosophy

History is one key issue that brings Ethiopia

behindand Japan together, as two of the few non-therapidly

growinglight

Western countries that found their own pathmanufacturing sector in Ethiopia.
The recent visit of Prime Minister Shinzo
Abe to Ethiopia has added impetus to a
growing positive image of Ethiopia in Japan.
People to people relations and cultural
exchanges are making a great contribution torelations

betweentwo

countries.

The

Ethiopian Association of Japan, establishedin 1971 has become an important channel for
people to people relations and cultural
exchanges.

The

Nilo-Ethiopian

Studies

Association of Japan is making progress inlinking two countries in academic andresearch

arena.

The

Japan

Alumnito development and cultivated their own
unique cultures. After the Visit of Shinzo Abe
toEthiopia,many

privatesectorrepresentatives in Japan are beginning toconsider Ethiopia as a potential destination
for Japanese investment. The Ethiopia-Japan
policy dialogue is designed to facilitate more
Japanese involvement in Ethiopia. The
launch of Ethiopian Airlines’ service to Japanin April will practically facilitate increased
communications and contribute to further
organic development of business ties andrelations.

Embassy of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in Tokyo
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Biannual News Letter

Japan’s focus on Africa in general andEthiopia in particular promotes a win-win

References

approach which is the base for sustainability.

Japan is a pioneer in initiating the mostorganized series of partnerships with Africa
through TICAD which encourages mutual
engagement

andgenuine

partnerships.

Ethiopia is actively engaged in the TICAD



Process which due to hold its Sixth Summitin Africa in 2016.
The Japanese policy of One Village One
Product Initiative promotes products ofdeveloping nations.
Ethiopia and Japan’s longstanding friendshipand legacy of diplomatic relations is crucial
for future cooperation, and needs to beharnessed positively for mutual benefits.
Positive signs of engagement in business and

J Calvitt Clarke III alliance of the colored peoples:
Ethiopia and Japan before WWII A detailed
examination of Ethiopian-Japanese relations fromtheir beginnings in the interwar period throughthe Italo-Ethiopian War of 1935-6, drawing on
Japanese, James Currey, 2011
Richard Bradshaw and Jim Ransdell Japan,
Britain and the Yellow Peril in Africa in the 1930s
The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus 2011
Imai, M. (1986). Kaizen: the Key to JapaneseCompetitiveness Success: New York: Random
House Business Division.
Ohno, I. Ohno, K and Uesu, S. (October 2009).
“Introducing Kaizen in Africa.” GRIPS
Development Forum Tokyo: Roppongi, Minatoku.
Tasie, G. (May, 2009). “Can Japanesemanagement styles be applied to Africa? African
Journal of Business Management. Vol. 3 (4), pp.
233-239.
Japan International cooperation Agency,
Ethiopia’s Country project Report 2013
(unpublished)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Japanese
Embassy in Addis Ababa and Ethiopian Embassyin Tokyo Websites
Tadeese, G. (2013). “Pilot Project Result”
Ethiopian Kaizen Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

investment now promise a bright future. We
all need to make sure enhanced andcoordinatedefforts

makethecurrent

initiatives a success

Embassy of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in Tokyo
Takanawa Kaisei Bldg 2Fl. 3-4-1, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0074 Japan
20