KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 (Bernama) -- Kagoshima, located at the southern tip of mainland Japan, wants to strengthen ties with Malaysia across a wide range of fields, including economic cooperation, tourism, culture, education, and people-to-people exchanges.
Governor of Kagoshima Prefecture Koichi Shiota said next year would mark a significant milestone: the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Malaysia, which is expected to deepen exchanges between the prefecture and Malaysia.
“Malaysia and Kagoshima may be geographically distant, but I believe we share an appreciation for our traditions, our local products, and the people who preserve and pass them on to future generations,” he said in his opening remarks at a reception hosted by the Embassy of Japan in Malaysia and Kagoshima Prefecture to introduce the culinary ingredients from Kagoshima Prefecture.
“Kagoshima is a true treasure trove of Japanese cuisine, offering some of the finest food products in Japan.
“Our Kagoshima Wagyu has been crowned Japan’s Grand Champion Wagyu at the National Competitive Exhibition of Wagyu twice in a row.
“We are also proud of our delicious yellowtail raised in the rich waters surrounding Kagoshima, our fragrant Kagoshima premium tea, sweet potatoes, and shochu, a traditional Japanese spirit deeply rooted in our local culture,” he noted.
Shiota expressed his hope for even greater economic engagement with Malaysia.
“Japan imports around 70 per cent of its urea, one of the key raw materials used in fertiliser production, from Malaysia. And we hope that we will be able to continue enjoying a stable supply from your country. This would also be critical for our agriculture sector in Kagoshima,” he pointed out.
He also disclosed that Kagoshima would like to attract investment from Malaysian companies in the food-related sector.
Potential investment in Malaysia by companies from Kagoshima, he said, would involve bringing in raw materials from the prefecture to be processed here.
Meanwhile, Japanese ambassador to Malaysia, Noriyuki Shikata, said that as next year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Japan and Malaysia, both countries have developed strong ties through cooperation in trade, investment, education, tourism, and many other fields.
He emphasised that food and culture strengthen connections between the two countries.
“By sharing our food and culinary traditions and experiencing each other's cultures, we can deepen our mutual understanding and bring our peoples even closer together,” he said in his opening remarks.
-- BERNAMA