New Year’s Greeting from Consul General Fujiwara
2023/1/12
I would like to wish everyone a happy new year as we enter 2023.
As we reflect on the year that was, many of the hardships of 2022 can still be felt today.
The uncertainty of peace returning to Ukraine, the cost of living crisis, and other issues continue to cause great distress. Last year was also marked by the historic event of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. In Scotland too, there was a strong feeling of admiration as Scottish people mourned for Her Majesty.
Along with these events, the coronavirus pandemic, which has been the biggest stumbling block for Scotland and the world in recent years, has not yet been fully contained.
However, I anticipate that Scotland's society, economy, and people's lives will continue to improve steadily as we confront these circumstances. Looking back on the relationship between Scotland and Japan since the spring of 2022, I believe that it has been a year of strong response, with new businesses and investments moving into the country and the resumption of cultural and personal exchanges. Although there are still some elements of concern, I have great expectations that such a trend will continue this year. In particular, in economic relations, I have a sense of hope from the Scottish side that cooperation with Japan will increase, especially in new industrial fields such as renewable energy.
In terms of cultural and educational exchange, this year's events include an environment-related seminar on Japanese food culture, a screening of Japanese films, and a reception in conjunction with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in the summer. In addition, there is the JET program, sending young people to teach English as a foreign language in Japan, as well as our own educational visits to introduce Japanese culture to local schools in Scotland and North England.
We are determined to continue our efforts to deepen and expand mutual understanding and exchange between Scotland and Japan in a variety of fields, both with Japanese and Scottish people.
Finally, I wish you all a happy and fruitful year ahead.
As we reflect on the year that was, many of the hardships of 2022 can still be felt today.
The uncertainty of peace returning to Ukraine, the cost of living crisis, and other issues continue to cause great distress. Last year was also marked by the historic event of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. In Scotland too, there was a strong feeling of admiration as Scottish people mourned for Her Majesty.
Along with these events, the coronavirus pandemic, which has been the biggest stumbling block for Scotland and the world in recent years, has not yet been fully contained.
However, I anticipate that Scotland's society, economy, and people's lives will continue to improve steadily as we confront these circumstances. Looking back on the relationship between Scotland and Japan since the spring of 2022, I believe that it has been a year of strong response, with new businesses and investments moving into the country and the resumption of cultural and personal exchanges. Although there are still some elements of concern, I have great expectations that such a trend will continue this year. In particular, in economic relations, I have a sense of hope from the Scottish side that cooperation with Japan will increase, especially in new industrial fields such as renewable energy.
In terms of cultural and educational exchange, this year's events include an environment-related seminar on Japanese food culture, a screening of Japanese films, and a reception in conjunction with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in the summer. In addition, there is the JET program, sending young people to teach English as a foreign language in Japan, as well as our own educational visits to introduce Japanese culture to local schools in Scotland and North England.
We are determined to continue our efforts to deepen and expand mutual understanding and exchange between Scotland and Japan in a variety of fields, both with Japanese and Scottish people.
Finally, I wish you all a happy and fruitful year ahead.