Czech Republic–Japan relations

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Czech–Japanese relations
Map indicating locations of Czech and Japan

Czech Republic
Japan
Hideaki Kumazawa, Ambassador of Japan to the Czech Republic, with Livia Klausová, First Lady of the Czech Republic, and Mirek Topolánek, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic (at the Reception to Celebrate the Emperor's Birthday on December 4, 2007)

Bilateral relations between the Czech Republic and Japan were established in 1919 by Czechoslovakia and Japan.

History[]

Gunma Music Center in Takasaki, Gunma designed by Antonin Raymond

The diplomatic relation between Czechoslovakia and Japan was established in 1919.[1] Czech architect Antonin Raymond was the honorary consul for the First Czechoslovak Republic in Japan from 1926 until 1939, representing the government of T. G. Masaryk.[2] The relations were broken off during World War II from 1939, and re-established in 1957.[3] Japan's first Minister Plenipotentiary to Czechoslovakia was Harukazu Nagaoka.[4]

After the Dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993, Japan recognized the foundation of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic, and likewise continued diplomatic relations with both republics.

In July 2002 the Emperor and Empress of Japan, Akihito and Michiko, made an official visit to Prague.[5]

In August 2003, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi paid an official visit to the Central Europe, namely Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. On August 20, he left Warsaw for Prague as the last destination of his journey. In the afternoon of the next day, he held talks with Czech Prime Minister Vladimír Špidla at the Prime Minister's Office and there they exchanged their ideas and thoughts on the bilateral relations and significant global issues that include the nuclear ambitions of North Korea and reconstruction of Iraq, where it had been only three months since the war had ended.[6] According to the meeting, both of the prime ministers issued the "Joint Statement towards Strategic Partnership between Japan and the Czech Republic," which celebrated 10th anniversary of their partnership and the imperial visit to Prague a year ago as an epoch-making event and proclaimed more evolution of cooperation in the bilateral relations, in assisting the renaissance of Iraq and in preventing the further proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.[7]

Trade and economy[]

The auto factory of Toyota Peugeot Citroën Automobile Czech (November 2013)

Economic relations between Japan and the Czech Republic have been developing steadily with rapid growth of large-scale direct investment and trade of electrical machinery and mechanical components.[1]

In the year of 1968, when self-proclaimed "brotherhood nations" the Soviet Union and four communist states sent tanks to Prague, Japan sent a private enterprise there; that is to say, one of the largest Japanese general trading companies Mitsui & Co. started operating in the capital of the Czech Republic.[8] A few years later the end of the Cold War, in 1993, Japan External Trade Organization, which was authorized as a government-related organization to promote Japanese export, import and investment, newly established their office in Prague.[9] Thereafter, two of major Japanese manufacturers found their facilities, namely a television factory of Matsushita in Plzeň in 1996 and a polyester fabric factory of Toray in Prostějov in 1997.[8]

As the most important milestone in Czech–Japanese business history, Toyota Peugeot Citroën Automobile, a private joint venture between Toyota and Peugeot Citroën, established the headquarters and auto-factory in Kolín in 2002.[10] Its manufacturing started in February 2005, and as of March 2012, TPCA had produced more than 2 million vehicles since the initial production.[11]

Academic relationship[]

In Czech Republic, there are three universities that implemented Japanese studies courses; Charles University in Prague,[12] Masaryk University in Brno[13] and Palacky University in Olomouc.[14]

Diplomatic missions[]

Japanese embassy in Prague
Honorary Consulate of the Czech Republic in Kobe
  • Czech Republic has an embassy in Tokyo and an honorary consulate in Kobe.
  • Japan has an embassy in Prague.[15]

Sister cities[]

  • Czech Republic Plzeň – Japan Takasaki, since August 1990[16]
  • Czech Republic Karlovy Vary – Japan Kusatsu, since May 1992[17]
  • Czech Republic Prague – Japan Kyoto, since April 1996[18]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "Japan-Czech Republic Relations (Overview)".
  2. ^ Reynolds, (2001), p81
  3. ^ "Establishing of Diplomatic Relations and Interwar Development | Embassy of the Czech Republic in Tokyo". Mzv.cz. 20 October 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2011.
  4. ^ "Embassy of Japan in the Czech Republic: 歴代チェコ共和国日本国大使". Cz.emb-japan.go.jp. Archived from the original on 23 June 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
  5. ^ Czech Republic in 2002: July - September | ČeskéNoviny.cz
  6. ^ Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in Action (What's up around the Prime Minister): Japan-Czech Republic Summit Meeting (Thursday, August 21, 2003)
  7. ^ Speeches and Statements by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi: Joint Statement towards Strategic Partnership between Japan and the Czech Republic (Prague, August 21st, 2003)
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b Czech Focus, Prague, October 2015 Archived 2016-04-27 at the Wayback Machine, p.12
  9. ^ "Japanese Component & Material Buyers' Exhibition in Czech Republic September 16th, 2015 | Japan External Trade Organization" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-01-18. Retrieved 2017-01-17.
  10. ^ EasyLink Services International Corporation Renews Relationship with Leading Automobile Manufacturer | Business Wire
  11. ^ Peugeot Citroen CEO says will build minicar with Toyota - magazine | Reuters
  12. ^ Ústav Dálného východu | Univerzita Karlova Archived 2018-01-13 at the Wayback Machine (in Czech)
  13. ^ Seminář japonských studií | Masarykova univerzita (in Czech)
  14. ^ O katedře: Katedra asijských studií | Univerzita Palackého Archived 2017-12-01 at the Wayback Machine (in Czech)
  15. ^ "Japanese embassy in Prague (in Czech and Japanese only)". Cz.emb-japan.go.jp. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
  16. ^ Sister Cities: Official website of the City of Pilsen
  17. ^ Karlovarské radniční listy, XIII. ročník, Číslo 4 - duben 2008 (in Czech)
  18. ^ International Exchange: List of Sister Cities / Kyoto prefecture Multilingual Site

Further reading[]

External links[]

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