 Welcome to the website of the Embassy of Japan in Trinidad and Tobago.
I arrived in Port-of-Spain in February 2012 to begin my new assignment as the Ambassador of this mission. To date, I have been working in the Foreign Service at our headquarters in Tokyo and have served overseas as a diplomat in countries and cities including Belgium, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, and New Zealand. Luckily, and perhaps challengingly for me, this is my first assignment in the Caribbean region.
Allow me to briefly introduce the history of the relationship between Trinidad and Tobago and Japan, and our mission. The diplomatic relationship between the two countries dates back to 1964, and the Embassy of Japan in Trinidad and Tobago was established in 1979. At present, in addition to Trinidad and Tobago the Embassy’s jurisdiction extends to nine other Caricom countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Republic of Guyana, and the Republic of Suriname.
Apart from the development of our diplomatic relations since 1964, our countries have developed an active relationship based on personal exchanges as well. For example, Trinidad and Tobago is an attractive destination for many young Japanese people as hundreds of Japanese tourists visit this country annually, especially during the Carnival season which is a most enlivened time here. Apart from this cultural interest, the business interaction between both countries has also increased in recent times.
Economic cooperation is another avenue for us to develop our relations. Japan has been highly committed to implementing various projects with broad-ranged purposes from providing infrastructure to support basic industries, to supporting the sustainable development of local communities via personnel exchange programs, vocational training courses, and grant assistance at the grass-roots level.
In addition to official development assistance (from the perspective of expanding bilateral interaction and enhancing mutual understanding), the Japanese Government is also offering the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program and the Monbukagakusho (MEXT)Scholarship Program to nationals of this country.
Through the above-mentioned exchanges, our bilateral relationship has been actively developing and expanding, and I strongly believe that it will continue to enhance more than ever. However, even as I acknowledge these positive on-going events, I must admit that there are still other areas to be tackled by both countries. Therefore, as an Ambassador and as a Japanese national living here, I am determined to devote myself to pursuing a strengthened relationship in various fields for both countries to achieve our mission’s agenda.
I sincerely hope that this website will be useful for you and I look forward to your feedback, opinions or suggestions to the Embassy of Japan in Trinidad and Tobago.
Ambassador of Japan to Trinidad and Tobago
Yoshimasa Tezuka
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Embassy of Japan in Trinidad and Tobago 
