Estonia and Japan

11.05.2009

Official visit of Their Majesties Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko to Estonia 24–25 May 2007

Japan recognised the Republic of Estonia de facto on 6 March 1919. On 26 January 1921, the Supreme Council of the Entente (including Japan) recognised the Republic of Estonia de jure. Japan also recognised the Republic of Estonia through a separate act. The chargé d’affaires a. i. appointed to Riga in 1921 also covered Estonia.

In 1934, Alfred Ruthe, whose field of activities comprised the whole of Japan, was appointed Estonian Honorary Consul in Dairen, South Manchuria.

In 1935, the first Japanese Honorary Consul, Voldemar Puhk, started his activities in Tallinn. In 1937, Japan's Ambassador to Riga was also accredited to Estonia and in 1939 Japan established a diplomatic representation in Tallinn, functioning until 1940.

On 6 September 1991, Japanese Special Ambassador Hirokazu Arai conveyed to Tallinn the official statement of the Japanese government's recognition of the independence of the Republic of Estonia.

The diplomatic relations between the two countries were restored on 10 October 1991. In January 1993, Japan's Embassy in Tallinn was opened.

On 4 March 1996, the Embassy of the Republic of Estonia was opened in Tokyo.

On 8 December 2006, Peeter Miller, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Estonia to Japan presented his credentials to Emperor Akihito of Japan.

On 7 December 2006, Hitoshi Honda, Ambassador of Japan to Estonia residing in Helsinki, presented his credentials to President Toomas Hendrik Ilves. Beginning in April 2005, Japan’s chargé d'affaires a. i. in Estonia is Mrs. Toshiko Shimizu.

In April 2007, the Estonian-Japanese parliamentary group was re-established. The Chairman of the group is Urmas Reinsalu. On 17 October 2007 the Japan-Estonia friendship group in the Japanese Parliament was re-established.

In 1991, the Japanese-Estonian friendship society was established on the island of Hokkaido (chaired by Masatoshi Nakamura). In 1992, the Estonian-Japanese Association was established in Tallinn (chaired by Heikki Vallaste); it organizes exhibitions and lectures, and promotes Japanese culture. In February 2004, the Estonian-Japanese friendship society was established in Tokyo (chaired by Kosaku Yamaguchi).

A sister city agreement was concluded on 1 May 2007 between the Japanese city of Saku, in Nagano prefecture, and the Estonian township of Saku, in Harju County.

Visits and Meetings

Agreements

• Declaration of Intent between the Government of the Republic of Estonia and the Industrial Bank of Japan (came into force 11 Mar 1996);
• Agreement on the Abolishment of Visa Requirements (came into force 1 Dec 1999).

Co-operation Protocol between the Foreign Ministries of Estonia and Japan was signed in June 2002 in the course of the visit of Foreign Minister Kristiina Ojuland. That laid the basis for regular political consultations.

On 19 December 2000, Estonia and Japan agreed that only bilateral agreements concluded after 20 Aug 1991 are in force.

Protocols, agreements and implementation agreements with a view of providing cultural, educational and sports grants on the part of the Japanese Government. At present (August 2006), there are six agreements governing the respective topic.

Economic Co-operation

Economic relations between Estonia and Japan are good and progressing stably.

Estonia is interested in signing an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of tax evasion, as well as a co-operation agreement in the field of science and technology with Japan.

In January 2005, Kosaku Yamaguchi was appointed the representative of Enterprise Estonia in Tokyo and plans are made for setting up a fully qualified agency in the future. Co-operation is well established between Enterprise Estonia and the Japan Institute for Overseas Investment (JOI), as a result of which the first Japanese online guide introducing Estonia’s investment climate came into being.

Trade

In 2006, the Estonian-Japanese foreign trade turnover according to the special trade system amounted to 153 million EUR (in 2005, 179 million EUR). Exports made up 44.3 million and imports 108.6 million EUR. In 2006 Japan was the 22nd largest trade partner for Estonia. Estonia’s trade deficit with Japan was 64.3 million EUR.

Trade between Estonia and Japan in 2000 – 2007 (in millions of EUR)

Main export articles in 2006:

• Wood and wood products; charcoal - 64.7%
• Chemical products - 11.2%
• Furniture and bedding - 9.3%
• Base metals and articles of base metals - 5.2%

Main import articles in 2006:

• Machinery and mechanical appliances - 84.7%
• Vehicles, aircraft, vessels and associated transport equipment - 7.7%
• Optical, photographic, cinematographic appliances - 2.5%
• Plastics and plastic products, rubber and rubber products - 2.4%

Source: Statistical Office of Estonia

Investments

According to the Bank of Estonia, Japan’s direct investments in Estonia as of 2006 amount to 7.3 million EUR. Japan’s direct investment position has shown an upward trend compared to 2005, when the same indicator was 7.2 million EUR. Investments have mainly been made into real estate, wholesale and retail trade and services. No Estonian investments have been registered in Japan.

Cultural Relation

During the past 15 years, close cultural exchange has been going on between the two countries. An accelerate rise in interest towards Japanese culture, language and national sports events can be noted in Estonia. In the spring of 2005, Estonia’s chargé d’affaires a.i. in Japan presented two Estophiles, professor Shoji and Hiromi Komori, with the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana.

2005 was named the EU-Japan Year of People to People Exchanges, under which Estonian animated films were screened in Japan, exhibitions were organized, Ellerhein Girls’ Choir and Tallinn Chamber Orchestra staged concert tours and plays were performed by VAT Theatre. In Estonia, a number of events took place where Japanese artists presented traditional Japanese art (calligraphy, Japanese shadow theatre) but also contemporary arts (jazz, architecture, poetry).

In July 2006, the Sõprus (Friendship) folk dance ensemble was on a concert tour in Japan. The concerts took place in Tokyo, Kushiro and Saku.

Anu Tali, Neeme Järvi, Paavo Järvi and Kristjan Järvi have been to Japan, conducting the leading Japanese orchestras.

LITERATURE

Classical Japanese poetry has been translated into Estonian by Rein Raud (Under the Full Moon, 1985; The Heart is the Only Flower, 1992; A Peak in the Bottom of the Lake, 2006). Japanese poetry has also been translated by Uku Masing (Haikus, 1997; Tankas, 1997). Novels and short stories have been translated by Agu Sisask (for example Kobo Abe, The Woman in the Dunes, 1968; Shusaku Endo, When I Whistle, 1988; Yasunari Kawabata, Thousand Cranes; The Old Capital, 2001 and others), by Ülle Udam (Yasunari Kawabata, Snow Country, 1989 and others), by Maret Nukke (Junichiro Tanizaki, In the Praise of Shadows, 2004) and by Kati Lindström (Banana Yoshimoto, Kitchen, 2003; Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood, 2006).

ART

In 2002 Ene-Liis Semper participated in the opening of the Kumamoto Contemporary Art Museum by exhibiting a video installation.

Japanese ceramics, photographic art and calligraphy have been exhibited in Estonian exhibition halls. In June 2003, a Japanese exhibition introducing woodcutting was opened in the Museum of Adamson-Eric. In September 2003, the exhibition Living Faces in Tallinn of the Japanese modern graphics’ group Pintsaurus was opened in the gallery of the Art Building.

Ikebana, traditional Japanese flower arrangement, has been practised in Estonia for over 30 years and several Ikebana exhibitions have been organised. The latest of them took place in the National Library in April 2006.

MUSIC

The Japanese Government provided aid to the Estonian National Opera for purchasing the audio-visual equipment. The Estonian Music Academy was supported for the technical furnishings of the electronic music studio. The Heino Eller Music School in Tartu was also supported for purchasing music instruments.

In 1998, the Estonian Music Days took place in Japan with concerts by Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Hortus Musicus, organist Andres Uibo and others. The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir have visited Japan several times.

In March 2002, three concerts were given in Estonia by the Japanese philharmonic orchestra.

In November 2002, Neeme Järvi (who at the same time was a guest conductor of the Japanese Symphony Orchestra) and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir gave five concerts, including the première of Litany by Arvo Pärt.

Eduard Tubin’s third symphony was performed by the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra in 2002.

Japanese music festival took place in Tartu in 2004.

Ellerhein Girls’ Choir has repeatedly been to Japan on concert tours. Their latest visit to Japan took place in August 2005. The conductor of the choir, Tiia-Ester Loitme is a highly appreciated conductor in Japan; in 2006 she was in Tokyo as a teacher and guest conductor of children’s choirs.

Japanese music and dance groups have taken part in the annual Orient festival in Tallinn.

THEATRE, CINEMA, DANCE

In August 2000, the Japanese ballet troupe Chambre Ouest gave guest performances in Estonia. In November 2001, the Japanese Kabuki Theatre gave performances in the main hall of the Estonian Drama Theatre (a traditional Japanese form of theatre uniting the art of words, music, song and dance, where only men act).

In October 2002, the modern dance performance of the Japanese Technological Dumb Type Theatre took place in Tallinn. In December 2002, performances of the popular Japanese classical Nõ Theatre were staged in the Drama Theatre.

At the annual Black Nights Film Festival, several new Japanese films have been shown. In January 2003, a Japanese film programme was shown at the Kinomaja.

In May 2004, six Estonian animated cartoons were shown at the film festival "Image Forum". The interest towards the films was great. The films were shown to full houses. During the European Union’s Cinema Days, "Names in Marble" was screened.

OTHER

In Estonia, one can study Japanese language and culture at the Estonian Institute of Humanities, the Language Centre of the University of Tartu, the Tallinn University, Tallinn Järveotsa Secondary School and in the Tallinn Language School. The Japanese Government has helped provide funding for the furnishing of the University of Tartu language laboratory. It has also helped provide learning materials and technical equipment for the Institute of Humanities. In May 2005, an agreement was signed giving Tallinn University support for furnishing of the Japanese language studies facility, and for acquiring the necessary software).

Estonian specialists are offered specialised training in various disciplines (power engineering, environment protection, forensic science etc.) by the Japan International Co-operation Agency JICA. The Japanese Ministry of Education (Monbusho) offers grants for bachelors and masters studies at different Japanese universities. The Japan Foundation organises study trips to Japan and offers grants in the framework of various programmes.

Since March 2001, it has been possible to apply for dedicated Japanese Government grants in the framework of the project "Grant Assistance for Cultural Grass-Roots Project".

Japanese Culture Days were held in October 2000 (film programme, lectures, ikebana contest among other activities).

In May 2004, 20 young Japanese cherry trees were planted on the side of Harjumägi hill in Tallinn as well as near the Järveotsa Secondary School. It was part of the "Sakura" project initiated in 1999 by the Japanese-Estonian friendship society. The planting sites for the cherry trees were chosen in co-operation with the Estonian-Japanese Association.

In May 2004, two Estonian sumo wrestlers, Ott Juurikas and Kaido Höövelson (aka Baruto), were the first Estonians – and among only a few Europeans – to become members of the Japanese Professional Sumo Federation (of 800 pros, only nine are from Europe). In the spring tournament of 2006, Kaido Höövelson made history, beating one by one all his rivals in the Juryo league in the course of one tournament.

In 2006, the Junior Sumo World Wrestling Championship for amateurs took place in Rakvere, where amateur world champion sumo matches took place as well, from 11-12 October 2008.