Until November 22, Japan Fortnight celebrates the relations between Occitania and Japan in the economic, cultural, educational, sporting and scientific fields. Exhibitions, culinary workshops, film screenings and meditation sessions highlight the richness of exchanges between the two territories.
During their visit, the vice-president in charge of the economy, employment, innovation and reindustrialization of the Occitanie Region, Jalil Benabdillah and the Japanese consul, Hiroshi Kitagawa highlighted the tangible results of this strategic cooperation while exploring its future prospects.
Occitanie-Japan, an expanding alliance
Since 2015, cooperation between Occitanie and Japan has continued to strengthen. Today, Japan is one of the three main foreign investors of the region. “It is a major economic partner, but also cultural and institutional, which can represent a real asset for Occitanie.”souligne Jalil Benabdillah.
A notable example is the creation of the Club Japon Occitanie, a collaborative space which brings together a fifty local businesses interested in the Japanese market. The objective is to better understand the economic specificities of Japan and to create opportunities through a network of qualified contacts.
Visits to Japanese companies
During their trip, the two representatives visited the clothing brand's distribution center Asics in Garons, the seed giant Sakata in Uchaud and the company Sericynespecialized in silk, in Bagard.
“This is an opportunity to promote these companies, their quality of work, their efforts in terms of recruitment and training, as well as their short and medium term projects.”
Jalil Benabdillah
For Hiroshi Kitagawa, this first visit to Gard is enriching. “It was a good opportunity for me to discover reality and the field”he reveals. “This visit allowed me to better understand and get to know the activities of Japanese companies better, which helps me to consider the future directions of our cooperation.”
Future outlook
Cooperation between Occitania and Japan offers many opportunities. The Region seeks to strengthen its exportsfor example in the wine and technology sectors, while attracting more Japanese investment.
In the cultural and social fields, educational exchangessuch as study and internship programs, are essential, as is the promotion of mutual understanding. Hiroshi Kitagawa emphasizes: “In Occitania, there are many young people who are interested in learning the Japanese language. This represents significant potential for strengthening our exchanges.”
With this constantly evolving relationship, Occitanie asserts its place as a key player in Franco-Japanese relationsthus building a promising future for both partners.
