Japan designates Kisarazu as official hometown for Nigerians

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru | Abuja

In a landmark move to boost cultural ties and economic cooperation, the Government of Japan has designated the city of Kisarazu as the official hometown for Nigerians wishing to live and work in the country.

The announcement was made on Thursday on the sidelines of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), held in Yokohama, Japan.

As part of the initiative, Japan will introduce a special visa category for highly skilled, innovative, and talented young Nigerians, as well as artisans and blue-collar workers willing to upskill. The new arrangement is aimed at promoting cultural exchange, expanding workforce productivity, and addressing Japan’s demographic challenges.

During the ceremony, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) also designated other hometowns for selected African nations: Nagai (Yamagata Prefecture) for Tanzania, Sanjo (Niigata Prefecture) for Ghana, and Imabari (Ehime Prefecture) for Mozambique.

Nigeria’s Chargé d’Affaires and Acting Ambassador to Japan, Mrs. Florence Akinyemi Adeseke, and the Mayor of Kisarazu, Mr. Yoshikuni Watanabe, jointly received the official designation certificate on behalf of their respective governments.

Japan’s hometown partnership strategy is designed to foster stronger people-to-people ties, enhance municipal collaboration, and encourage manpower development between Japanese cities and African countries. Local authorities hope the designation will contribute to regional revitalization and population growth in the designated cities.

Kisarazu has maintained a special relationship with Nigeria, having hosted Team Nigeria during their pre-Games training camp ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

In his opening address at TICAD9, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced a fresh $5.5 billion investment in Africa, highlighting Japan’s commitment to mutual understanding, co-creation, and locally driven development.

The Prime Minister identified three priority areas for partnership: private sector-led sustainable growth, youth and women empowerment, and regional integration. He also acknowledged Japan’s domestic challenges, including an ageing population and shrinking agricultural land, and called for deeper collaboration with African countries in developing joint solutions.

“Japan is providing various cooperation and support for Africa. But first of all, Japan needs to know more about Africa. In creating solutions together, we must embrace co-creation through private sector growth, youth and women empowerment, and regional integration,” he said.

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