Greetings from His Excellency Yoshimasa Tezuka
Ambassador of Japan to Antigua and Barbuda

Welcome to the website of the Embassy of Japan.

In February 2012, I arrived in Port-of-Spain to embark on my new diplomatic assignment in the Caribbean as the Ambassador of Japan to ten countries. This is my first assignment in the Caribbean and Latin American region. This Embassy is not only accredited to Antigua and Barbuda, but its jurisdiction extends to nine other countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) including Barbados, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Republic of Guyana, the Republic of Suriname, and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

Prior to my new diplomatic posting, I worked in the Foreign Service at our headquarters in Tokyo and also served overseas as a diplomat in countries and cities including Belgium, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Hong Kong, Los Angeles and New Zealand. Given these previous assignments and my experience at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, it is my sincere expectation that I can fully utilise such experiences to further enhance the friendly bilateral relations which our two countries share.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties between Japan and Antigua and Barbuda in 1982, bilateral relations have been developing through political, diplomatic, economic, technical, cultural, and educational exchanges.

These exchanges are facilitated by programs such as the much anticipated Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program and the Monbukagakusho (MEXT) Scholarship Program which attract nationals of your country to Japan. In addition, Antigua and Barbuda is viewed as an attractive tourist destination for many Japanese with over one hundred tourists visiting annually.

I wish to assure you that the Government of Japan remains steadfast in its commitment to implementing various projects, which aim to support sustainable development, not only at the national level but also at the grass-roots level in Antigua and Barbuda. Such projects are executed via grant assistance and technical cooperation.

It is reassuring to note that through the afore-mentioned exchanges, our bilateral relationship has been actively developing and expanding, and I strongly believe that it will continue to be enhanced more than ever before. However, even as I acknowledge these positive developments, I must admit that there remain other areas to be tackled by both our countries. Therefore, as Ambassador of Japan as well as a Japanese national living in the Caribbean, I am determined to devote myself to pursuing a strengthened relationship in various fields for both our countries. 

I sincerely hope that you will find this website to be useful and I look forward to your feedback, opinions or suggestions on the Embassy of Japan.

Ambassador of Japan to Antigua and Barbuda
Yoshimasa Tezuka