“For Japan, Mexico is a very important country”: Ambassador Fukushima highlighted the economic relationship of both nations

It was 1888, Porfirio Díaz took hold in power in Mexico without knowing that 20 years later a revolution would expel him from the country; Japan was going through its own revolt: the Meiji era, which meant opening up to the world after centuries of confinement.

There were still decades before that Asian nation became the power it is today (the third largest economy in the world, exporter of technology), but that year and, in particular, Mexico's aid, were the decisive factors for its history to change.

The roads of both countries had merged 400 years ago, first in 1609 with Rodrigo de Vivero's New Spain shipwreck on the coast of Onjuku and then with the samurai expedition Hasekura Tsunenaga in 1614, who was sent to Europe through New Spain to establish trade and request the sending of Catholic missionaries . He arrived in Acapulco, passed through Mexico City and departed for Europe from Veracruz.

Although Japan and Mexico are separated by 11,000 kilometers, totally different languages and cultures that would hardly have anything in common, they are united by history, the economy and excellent bilateral relations. There are some 1,300 Japanese companies in the country, more than 11,000 residents of that nation and a treaty (the Economic Partnership Agreement, 2005) that has made Japan Mexico's sixth trading partner and our country a key place for the Asian giant.

“For Japan, Mexico is a very important country,” says the Japanese ambassador to our country, Noriteru Fukushima, without hesitation, in an exclusive interview with Infobae Mexico. If more evidence is needed, other revealing data: 90% of the avocado consumed in Japan is Mexican, Japan is the second largest destination for agricultural products in Mexico after the US and until before the pandemic, 170,000 Japanese tourists arrived in our country.

But how did these two countries end up being so close. Let's go back to 1888. It was in that year that the Treaty of Friendship, Navigation and Trade between Japan and Mexico was signed. The first on an equal footing for Japan.

“Until then, Japan could not have an equality treaty with Europeans. Mexico gave Japan a chance to open the door to the world because it recognized Japan as equal. Japan at that time was an underdeveloped country and Mexico was more developed with many diplomatic relations with the world. In 1868 we opened the door to the world with the Meiji Era and 20 years later we achieved that treaty, that totally opened the door”, explains the ambassador.

From that year on, the relationship developed in a dizzying way. In 1891, the Japanese consulate was established in Mexico, the first in Latin America. And in 1897 36 Japanese departed from the port of Yokohama to go to Chiapas, where they established the first Japanese colony in the country, which today has borne the fruit of some 76,000 Nikkeis (descendants of Japanese) nationwide, the third country in America with the most Japanese presence only behind Brazil and Peru.

Thus, 2022 marks the 125th anniversary of Japanese migration to Mexico and for Ambassador Fukushima the future of relations is encouraging.

“We consider Mexico to be a very attractive power for the Japanese, it is no longer just for us a region of North America to export to the US, but for other countries. The people who work here are very skilled, many companies have a positive view of Mexico.”

Japanese companies no longer only target the Bajio region, “they have an interest, for example, in Campeche, Quintana Roo, Yucatan. In Mexico we are happy and I think that entrepreneurs are also coming with great confidence.”

The entry into force of the T-MEC and the changes it involved in trade between Mexico, the US and Canada does not seem to pose a problem for Japanese automotive companies either.

“More than challenges for companies, it's like a chance,” explains the ambassador. “Japanese companies really appreciate this treaty that these three countries have, that opened the doors to invest in Mexico, thanks to this agreement there are more opportunities for Mexico to export its products to Canada and the US.”

What he hopes that they will be able to negotiate as soon as possible is the issue of the rule of origin, “so that they decide what rules of origin it will have, that interests the Japanese automotive sector because the interpretation is a bit confusing, it is not a challenge or a problem, it is a chance”.

For the ambassador, the future of Japan-Mexico's economic relations is “positive”, with “a lot of income” because “Mexico's power or possibility or capacity will not change.”

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