Embassy of Japan in Zimbabwe /在ジンバブエ日本国大使館

07/09/2023

Good morning! Ohayo gozaimasu!
Ritsurin Garden, Kagawa Prefecture

06/09/2023

Beautiful scenery along the JR Tadami Line, between Fukushima and Niigata Prefectures 🍁🍂

05/09/2023

In September in Japan, you can enjoy visiting the vineyards and picking grapes! 🍇
There are many different varieties of grapes, each with its own unique and delicious taste, such as “Kyoho”, which are large, black and juicy (they are peeled before being eaten); "Delaware", which are smaller, red and sweet; and "Shine Muscat", which are green, seedless and can be eaten with the skin.
Would you like to visit a vineyard in Japan?

01/09/2023

A Japanese coffee expert sees the potential of Zimbabwe’s coffee industry!
She was particularly impressed by Zimunda Estate's Arabica coffee, which she introduced to Ambassador Tanaka. It is grown on a small, sustainable family farm in the Vumba.
Zimbabwe’s coffee industry has a lot of potential for revival, and we hope to see the country’s coffee becoming a sought after product in Japan and other markets!

01/09/2023

Did you know that in Japan 🇯🇵 school lunches are provided to all children in public primary schools and junior high schools? They are well-balanced meals to support children's healthy growth.

And in its development cooperation, Japan is also supporting school lunches around the world 🍛🍛🍛

31/08/2023

Shinsenen Garden in Kyoto, beautiful in any season! 🌸🌻🍂❄️

30/08/2023

Aharen Beach, Okinawa Prefecture

29/08/2023

Shepherd is an Ashinaga Africa Initiative scholar studying in Japan! His goal is to bring a positive change to Zimbabwe.

Shepherd is an AAI Graduate from Zimbabwe who recently finished his undergraduate in Environmental Systems Engineering in Japan.

Reflecting back on his AAI experience, Shepherd shared: ''My journey from Zimbabwe to Japan through the Ashinaga initiative was worthwhile. Ashinaga has empowered me with skills and knowledge worth a lifetime. The Uganda camp, being a part of the AAI group, and living in Japan have been opportunities that have opened me to experiences that I never had in Zimbabwe. I believe that at this point I have developed into a global citizen who is prepared to take on some of the problems that the world and Africa are facing.''

Sheperd is determined to use his experience and knowledge to bring positive change to Zimbabwe. ''My long-term goal, kokorozashi, is to establish a company that will oversee turning agricultural waste into sustainable energy. For instance, we cultivate a lot of maize (corn) in Zimbabwe, but once it is harvested, we use the grain and discard the stock. I think that the maize stock that we currently discard may be used to generate renewable energy, which could help Zimbabwe improve its energy efficiency and hasten the country's transition to clean energy. I do not doubt that this project will provide Zimbabweans the chance to find work and improve their livelihoods. I have already started to implement my plan by working with Alps Alpine to get professional knowledge in the area of renewable energy.''

Read more about Shepherd's journey and support other AAI Scholars by donating on our website!
https://ashinaga.org/en/support-us/

28/08/2023

Good morning! Ohayo gozaimasu!
Today's castle is Maruoka Castle, in Fukui Prefecture.
It's also called Kasumi-ga-jō, or Mist Castle, because it's said that whenever an enemy approaches the castle, a thick mist appears and hides it.
It was built at the end of the Sengoku, or Warring States period, in around 1576.
Have a good week ahead!

25/08/2023

The IAEA has published a statement following the initiation of the discharge of into the sea.

https://twitter.com/iaeaorg/status/1694564550383939617?s=20

25/08/2023

24/08/2023

Did you know that in Japan, young, green soya beans, boiled in their pods with salt, are a very popular snack? They are also served with beer at most "izakaya", or pubs.
Here in Zimbabwe, a lot of soya beans are grown, but I wonder why eating them young and green isn't popular (yet)...🤔

23/08/2023

The Embassy is closed today, 23 August, the day of Zimbabwe's 2023 Harmonised Elections.

21/08/2023

Launch of 16th Cohort of the Masters in Intellectual Property (MIP) Programme at Africa University!

On 17 August, the opening ceremony of the 16th Cohort of the Masters in Intellectual Property (MIP) programme took place at Africa University in Mutare. The MIP programme is supported by Japan, through the Japan Funds-in-Trust at the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). There are 32 new students in the programme, coming from 15 African countries. They are all experts in their fields, seeking to further their knowledge in intellectual property (IP), in order to promote innovation in their respective countries.

Speaking at the ceremony, Ambassador Tanaka expressed his hope that the students would contribute to the development of their countries after completing the course. The Vice-Chancellor of Africa University, Rev. Prof. Peter Mageto, encouraged the students to have big dreams. The representative of WIPO, Mrs Martha Chikowore, hoped the students would bring IP closer to people in Africa, so that they could utilise their creativity and market their products. The representative of ARIPO, Dr Outule Rapuleng, thanked Japan for maintaining its support for the programme. Finally, the guest speaker, Mr David Jeng, an alumni from Gambia, hoped that African countries would change from being consumers of IP made in other countries, to being producers of IP.

18/08/2023

Handover of books on Japan to Africa University!

On 17 August, Ambassador Tanaka handed over books on Japan to the Africa University library. The books were donated by The Nippon Foundation, through its Read Japan Project. Its mission is to promote an understanding of Japan through books. A total of 153 books were donated, covering topics such as economics, business, politics, international relations, science and technology, culture, arts and history.

Accepting the books on behalf of Africa University were the Vice-Chancellor, Rev. Prof. Peter Mageto; the University Librarian, Dr Rose Maturure; and the Student Representative Council President, Mr Zade Patel. They were very grateful to The Nippon Foundation for its donation, and said the books would stimulate the students’ interest in Japan, for the benefit of their research.

Ambassador Tanaka said he hoped these books would contribute to strengthening friendship between Africa University and Japan.

16/08/2023

10/08/2023

Morning glory, or "asagao", is one of the most common summer garden plants in Japan. Asagao is easy to grow, and it is also known as the first plant that most 6 year-old kids grow in science classes at primary school. As its Japanese name “asagao” means “morning face”, the flowers smile at you only in the early morning and close by mid-morning.

07/08/2023

Good morning! Happy new week!
Hirosaki Castle, Aomori Prefecture

05/08/2023

It's the Round of 16 in the FIFA Women's World Cup, and today in Wellington, New Zealand, Japan's team, the "Nadeshiko" 🇯🇵beat Norway 🇳🇴 3-1 and advanced to the Quarter Finals!

Nadeshiko Japan Beats Norway 3-1, Advance to Quarterfinals
https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/soccer-worldcup/20230805-127817/

04/08/2023

Japan is supporting a project, through WHO and the Ministry of Health and Child Care, to provide free surgeries to people who cannot afford them.

Read how the free surgery has transformed the life of a boy who was suffering from a painful hernia for five years.

By Tatenda Chimbwanda

04/08/2023

Good morning! Ohayo gozaimasu! It's festival Friday!

The Aomori Nebuta Matsuri is a Japanese summer festival that takes place in Aomori, northern Japan, in early August.
"Nebuta" refers to the float of a brave warrior-figure which is carried through the centre of the city, while dancers wearing a unique type of costume called "haneto" dance around.

02/08/2023

We visited St Christopher's School Food and Nutrition class in March and the Ambassador's residence chef, Mr Fukawa, and Embassy staff showed the students how to make makizushi (rolled sushi) and miso soup! We hope the girls and boys will remember how to make delicious Japanese food! Thank you to St. Christopher's School Zimbabwe for inviting us!

02/08/2023

Here are the other 6 Japanese films you can watch online for free, provided by the Japan Foundation! 😃🎥🍿

01/08/2023

Video explaining why the discharge of the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) treated water from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant is safe.

ALPS is a tried and tested process that removes multiple radionuclides from water. It complies with international safety standards and is done with the highest consideration for human and environmental health. This process ensures safe purified water that can be discharged into the sea, and will not be a risk to the sea ecosystem or humans.

01/08/2023

From today, the Japan Foundation is showing independent Japanese films online for free! 😀 See the link below to start watching! 🎉Here are six of twelve films currently showing:

28/07/2023

27/07/2023

At / #竹富島🌺 in , a popular resort area in southern , you can ride water buffalo carts🐃 through the beautiful and vivid scenery, and experience the island's unique culture⛵️

20/07/2023

Well done to Tokito Oda for winning the Wimbledon Wheelchair Tennis Singles Final! 🎾🧑‍🦽

20/07/2023

LIFE IN JAPAN: THE STUDENT PERSPECTIVE

KONNICHIWA FROM NAGOYA!
My name is Florence Gundidza. It has been a great honour to be one of the recipients of the prestigious JICA Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Global Leader Scholarship in October 2020. I studied Master of Engineering in Computer Science at Nagoya Institute of Technology from April 2021 to March 2023.

ARRIVAL IN JAPAN
I arrived in Japan around mid- October 2020. It goes without saying that I was nervous at first traveling to a country where I knew no one. It can be scary even to the bravest of us but the moment I arrived in Nagoya, I was pleasantly welcomed by my new JICA family. Their hospitality is unmatched. Contrary to what I thought, the beginning of my new journey was smoother than I expected.

LIFE IN NAGOYA
Commonly referred to as “The Home of Toyota”, Nagoya is geographically located in the center of Japan. Due to Nagoya's up-graded transportation infrastructures for land, sea, and air travel, it has become a location from which travel around Japan or abroad is convenient. Not only does it offer a sprawling metropolitan environment, it’s also a place to discover Japan’s rich history and cultural heritage. In addition, the city boasts of a thriving commerce and service industry which in turn has added to the convenience of foreign expats living in Nagoya's well-established city.

GRADUATE STUDENT LIFE AT NAGOYA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (NITECH)
My Master ‘s Programme in Computer Science and Engineering combines advanced knowledge and techniques from a wide range of fields including intelligence mathematics, science, engineering, information technology, computer science, artificial life, software engineering and system control engineering. I was fortunate to be part of a research group that focused on diverse research subjects in computer science, where I managed to acquire extensive knowledge that I didn’t possess before I came to Japan. I realised that in Japan teamwork is a big component of success, hence in our laboratory people work as a team in everything. This made my research fun and easier which in turn contributed to its success. I’m also grateful to NiTech staff with special mention to the International Staff for helping me throughout especially on things I didn’t quite understand about the University and Japan in general.

SIGNING OUT….
I am grateful to all those who were part of my work and assisted me and I wish them all the best in their lives. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to JICA for awarding me an amazing opportunity through their SDGs Global Leader Scholarship. Their support throughout my studies was overboard, and I would recommend anyone to try for this scholarship. You will come out an amazingly different person.

Life in Japan has been phenomenal, read here for more of my experience as a student in Nagoya, Japan.
https://www.jica.go.jp/english/overseas/zimbabwe/information/topics/2023/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2023/07/06/life_in_japan.pdf

19/07/2023

[Efforts of the Japanese Government]
Publication of the IAEA Comprehensive Report on the Safety Review of the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) Treated Water at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.

Atomic Energy Publication of the IAEA Comprehensive Report on the Safety Review of the ALPS Treated Water at TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) July 4, 2023 Japanese Tweet Following the Basic Policy announced by the Government of Japan on 14 April 2021, based on the Terms of R...

19/07/2023

Good morning! Happy Monday!
Bitchū Matsuyama Castle (備中松山城), Okayama Prefecture

15/07/2023

14/07/2023

13/07/2023

Did you know that, as well as green tea 🍵, people in Japan drink barley tea or "mugicha" (麦茶). It is especially popular drunk cold in the summer, and helps one to get refreshed in the summer heat. It is prepared by boiling or infusing roasted barley seeds in water.
Have you tried mugicha?

12/07/2023

Do you know about Japanese umbrellas "wagasa"?

10/07/2023

Good afternoon! Happy Monday!
Matsue Castle, Shimane Prefecture

07/07/2023

Do you know the story of Hachiko?
He was a Japanese akita dog who used to wait every day for his owner to come home from work at Shibuya Station in Tokyo.
Even after his owner died, Hachiko still waited at the station for over nine years. Isn't his loyalty amazing?
You can find a statue of him at Shibuya Station, and it's a popular meeting place. 🐶