Ambassador Naoto Hisajima hosted a festive reception at the Ritz-Carlton Doha to celebrate the 65th birthday of His Majesty the Emperor. The reception was attended by HE Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal Al Thani, Minister of Commerce and Industry, HE Mr. Ibrahim Fakhro, Director General of the Department of Ceremonies of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and approximately 350 guests.
In his speech, Ambassador Naoto Hisajima praised Qatar’s mediation diplomacy to promote stability and alleviate human suffering, not only in the Middle East but also in other parts of the world, and noted Japan's efforts in Middle East peace, its humanitarian assistance to Palestine, support for the two-state solution, and CEAPAD (Council for East Asian Partnership for Palestinian Development). He also stressed Japan's commitment to continue to be actively involved in international cooperation for the reconstruction of Gaza and other areas. Referring to the 5th Japan-Qatar Foreign Policy Dialogue held in November 2024, he expressed his intention to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in a wide range of areas, including politics, economy, and defense, under the strategic partnership.
Many guests enjoyed Japanese food including Japanese marine products, such as Chirashi-zushi served by the Ambassador’s Chef. In addition, many guests took commemorative photos in front of Ikebana flower arrangements, traditional kimonos, and Japanese umbrellas displayed at the venue.
In addition, a PR video for the Osaka-Kansai Expo was projected on a large screen, and a special booth was set up to encourage guests to visit Japan.
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On January 27, 2025, the Ambassador of Japan to the State of Qatar, Naoto Hisajima presented his credentials and the former Ambassador's letter of recall to His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Following the ceremony, the Ambassador discussed bilateral relations with His Highness.
Previously, Ambassador Hisajima presented a copy of his credentials to H.E Mr. Sultan bin Saad Sultan Al-Muraikhi, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs on November 25, 2024.
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Ambassador Hisajima and H.H. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani
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Ambassador Hisajima and H.E Mr. Sultan bin Saad Sultan Al-Mraikhi
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On November 11, 2024, the Embassy of Japan hosted a reception to mark the farewell of Ambassador Maeda and the Self-Defense Forces day. The guest of honor was Brigadier General Mohammed Salmeen Al-Jabri of Qatari Emiri Navy, and the reception was attended by more than 200 guests from the Qatari Armed Forces, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, other defense and security-related ministries, Military Attaché and the local diplomatic corps.
In his speech, Ambassador Maeda mentioned the summit held in Qatar last year and the Defense Ministerial Meeting held in Singapore this year, and said that Qatar is an important partner for Japan not only in LNG trade but also in the field of security, and expressed his gratitude to all parties involved.
The guests enjoyed Japanese cuisine such as nigiri sushi, inari sushi, Maritime Self-Defense Force curry and Air Self-Defense Force fried chicken, and showed interest in the Iaido and kendo demonstrations.
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Cake cutting
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Ambassador Maeda's speech
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Speech by Colonel Tatsukawa, the resident Defense Attache
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Nigiri sushi by Ambassador's chef
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Iaido Demonstration by Mr. Nimai, international student of the Defense Academy
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Kendo demonstration by Doha Kendo Club
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On November 2 to 4, the destroyer Murasame of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) made a port call at Doha Port. About 170 people from the Japanese community living in Qatar gathered for a tour onboard the ship and enjoyed interacting with the crew. On the 3rd, a luncheon was held with Qatari Navy officials, Ambassador Maeda and Colonel Tatsukawa, the resident Defense attaché. The last day before its departure, Murasame engaged in a goodwill training with the Qatari Navy.
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| High Rank Officials from the Qatari Emiri Navy toured Murasame |
A view of the Qatari warships from the Murasame |
On February 26, Ambassador Maeda hosted a reception at the Ritz-Carlton Doha Hotel to celebrate the 64th birthday of His Majesty the Emperor. The reception was attended by H.E. Mr. Jassim bin Seif bin Ahmed Al Sulaiti, Minister of Transport, H.E. Mr. Ibrahim Fakhro, Director of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and approximately 300 guests.
This year, there was a Japanese food corner with fresh tuna, scallops, etc. imported from Japan to promote Japanese seafood products, and many guests enjoyed nigiri sushi prepared by the Ambassador's chef, as well as sashimi and tempura. In addition, many guests came to take a snapshot in front of the golden folding screen at the colorful wedding kimono photo corner at the entrance of the venue. On the day of the event, students from the Japan School of Doha enthusiastically sang the national anthems of Qatar and Japan, much to the delight of the guests.
In his speech, Ambassador Maeda referred to the summit meetings held in July and December of last year, and stressed the need to strengthen the relationship between Japan and Qatar in various fields towards achieving a sustainable peace and stability in the region.
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Ambassador and Mrs. Maeda, Mr. and Mr. Tatsukawa and Mr. Sudo welcoming guests
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Cake cutting by H.E. Mr. Jassim bin Seif bin Ahmed Al Sulaiti, Minister of Transport, Ambassador Maeda, H.E. Mr. Ibrahim Fakhro, Director General of Protocols, MOFA (from left)
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Ambassador’s speech
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Students from the Japan School of Doha singing national anthems
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Many guests enjoyed the taste of Japanese tuna sashimi.
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There was a long queue for Ambassador’s chef’s live-performance sushi corner.
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Ikebana at the entrance
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Many took photos in the Kimono Gallery.
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On January 14, the Japan Day event was held at the Doha International Horticultural Expo. From the Japanese side, Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Mitsuo Takahashi, Member of the House of Representatives Manabu Sakai, Member of the House of Representatives Naoki Furukawa, Ambassador Maeda, people from the flower and landscaping industry involved in the operation of the Japan Pavilion, as well as Mr. Yasuhiro Senoma, Chairman of Yokohama City Council, representatives from Yokohama, Japan, the next host city of Expo in 2027 attended the event. Ambassador H.E. Bader Omar Al-Dafa and Secretary General Mr. Muhammad Ali Al-Khoori were present from the Qatari side.
Prior to the greetings from Parliamentary Vice-Minister Takahashi and Ambassador Maeda, Ambassador Al-Dafa was presented with Japanese apples in the design of the flags of both countries. The guests then toured the Japan Pavilion, which featured a variety of indoor and outdoor plants. An Ikebana performance using traditional Japanese bamboo and flowers was then conducted at the reception, where the attendees enjoyed the Japanese various flowers and flower culture as well as the food served by the Japanese restaurants in Qatar.
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Ambassador Maeda delivering opening remarks
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Japanese apples with a pattern of the national flags of both countries were presented.
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Tour of the Japanese pavilion with the guests
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Ikebana (flower arrangement) performance
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On 27 February, Ambassador Maeda hosted a reception at the Sheraton Doha Hotel to celebrate the 63rd birthday of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan. The reception was attended by H.E. Mr. Mohammed bin Ali bin Mohammed Al-Mannai, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, H.E. Mr. Ibrahim Fakhroo, Director General of Protocols, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mr. Ali Ibrahim Ahmed, Eritrean Ambassador, Dean of Diplomatic Corps and about 300 guests.
A large number of guests enjoyed the Japanese culinary, ranging from Ambassador’s Chef’s sushi, shrimp tempura, high quality melons from Shizuoka Prefecture, sake and Japanese whisky. In addition, the guests took photos with the traditional and colorful Kimono displayed at the venue.
In his speech, Ambassador Maeda highlighted the strong diplomatic ties between Japan and Qatar, which celebrated the 50th anniversary last year, and congratulated the huge success of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. He also touched upon the bilateral talks such as the Second Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue held in January and expressed his desire to strengthen the relations with Qatar in various sectors.
Moreover, prior to the reception, Ambassador Maeda held a press conference at his residence on 23 February. He spoke to journalists from major local newspapers in Qatar about the multi-faceted and strategic importance of Qatar for Japan beyond the LNG trade and Japan-Qatar relations’ future prospects.
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| Ambassador and Mrs. Maeda, Mr. and Mrs. Murasawa welcoming guests |
Cake cutting by H.E. Mr. Mohammed bin Ali Al-Mannai, Minister of Communications and IT, Ambassador Maeda, H.E. Mr. Ibrahim Fakhroo, Director General of Protocols, MOFA and H.E. Mr. Ali Ibrahim Ahmed, Eritrean Ambassador (from left) |
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| Ambassador’s speech |
There was a long queue for Ambassador’s chef’s live-performance sushi corner. |
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| Nearly 300 guests filled the ballroom. |
Many took photos in the Kimono Gallery. |
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| Ambassador Maeda at the press conference. |
Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado, as Honorary Patron of the Japan Football Association, visited Qatar from November 27th to December 3rd to attend the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. On November 27th, she watched the Japan vs Costa Rica match at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, and on November 28th, she visited the Japanese national team's campsite giving encouragement to the Japanese national team. On December 1st, she watched the match between Japan and Spain at Khalifa Stadium, where the top two teams of the group stage were decided, and gave warm congratulations to the players, managers, and staff who made it through to the first place.
During her stay in Qatar, Princess Takamado visited the Qatar National Museum on November 28th, the Museum of Islamic Art on the 30th and 321 Olympic Museum on December 3rd, where she learned about Qatar's history and Islamic art exhibition as well as the world history of sports accompanied by Ambassador Maeda. On the 29th, she also visited the Shafallah Center, which is an educational facility for disabled children, and interacted with the educators and students of the facility.
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| The Director of the Qatar National Museum gave explanations to HIH Princess Takamado |
HIH Princess Takamado visiting the Museum of Islamic Art |
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| HIH Princess Takamado inspecting the Shafallah Center |
HIH Princess Takamado(2nd right), Ambassador Maeda(right) together with Officers from Shafallah Center and Qatar Social Work |
On March 21, Ambassador Satoshi Maeda hosted a reception to celebrate the participation of Qatar pavilion in Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai. The reception was held at the Ambassador’s resident. His Excellency Mr. Sultan bin Rashid Al-Khater, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Members of Qatar Expo Committee, and other Qatari government officials and Japanese companies’ s representatives were present at the reception. They congratulated the official participation to Expo 2025,Osaka,Kansai by Qatar and the allocation of Qatari pavilion space.
On the day of the event, the souvenirs related to the Expo were distributed to visitors and PR video was showcased to strengthen and develop the cooperative relationship between the two countries toward the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, Kansai.
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| Ambassador Maeda (Center), His Excellency Mr. Sultan bin Rashid Al-Khater (center left), Mrs. Maeda (center right) |
Ambassador Maeda, His Excellency Mr. Sultan bin Rashid Al-Khater and other guests viewing a promotional video for the Expo 2025 Osaka,Kansai. |
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| Ambassador Maeda giving his greeting at the reception |
Guests enjoyed a demonstration of Tempura and Kushikatsu by Mr.Toyoji Fukawa, Ambassador’s chef. |
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| Participants received a pin badge and stickers of Expo 2025 Osaka,Kansa, and Japanese tea as souvenirs. |
Ambassador Satashi Maeda hosted a reception at Marsa Malaz Kempinski Hotel to celebrate the 62nd birthday of His Majesty the Emperor on the 23rd of February. His Excellency Dr. Faleh bin Nasser Al Thani, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Mr. Said Al Hajiri, Deputy Director of the Protocol Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Mr. Jai Singh Sohan, Ambassador of the Republic of Singapore and Chairman of Asian Ambassador’s Group in Doha, and approximately 200 people participated in the celebration. Japanese delicacies including sake, and Japanese whiskey were served at the venue. Especially the live Nigiri Sushi made from Japanese rice by Ambassador’s chef was very popular which led a long waiting line at the counter. In his speech, Ambassador Maeda praised the strong ties between Japan and Qatar in line with celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and spoke highly of Qatar's diplomatic efforts surrounding Afghanistan and mentioned prospects.
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| Ambassador and Mrs. Maeda, Mr. and Mrs. Murasawa, and Military Attaché Takada welcoming guests |
Cake cutting by Ambassador Maeda (left), His Excellency Dr. Faleh bin Nasser Al Thani, Minister of Environment and Climate Change (second left), His Excellency Mr. Jai Singh Sohan, Ambassador of the Republic of Singapore (second right), Mr. Said Al Hajiri, Deputy Director of the Protocol Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (right) |
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| Ambassador’s speech |
There was a long line in the sushi corner of the official residence chef |
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| A beautiful flower arrangement welcomed customers. |
Some customers took pictures of sake and Japanese whiskey. |
On February 4, Ambassador Satoshi Maeda held a reception to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Qatar. The reception was held at Baraha Square in Musheileb district in downtown Doha. His Excellency Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, Assistant Foreign Minister for Regional Affairs, His Excellency Mr. Ibrahim Yousef Fakhroo, Director of Protocol department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Mr. Yousef bin Sultan Yousef Laram, Director of Asian Affairs department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and more than 60 invited guests including ambassadors and head of missions were present at the event. A video message from Mr. Satoru Katsuno, Chairman of the Japan-Qatar Friendship Association was also screened.
At the event, following the Japanese drums performance by volunteers from the Japanese society in Qatar, a projection mapping entitled "Together to the Future" was screened on the M7 wall celebrating the long and strong relationship between the two countries and looking forward to an even better future for the two countries. The event had a great turn out and the enthusiastic audience was showing their excitement by taking lots of photos and videos of the shows. In his speech, Ambassador Maeda expressed his appreciation for the strong bilateral relations that have been standing for a half century between Japan and Qatar, and expressed his hope that the cooperation will develop beyond the economic sector to encompass various fields.
Check out the video about the event on Youtube.
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| Ambassador Maeda (2nd right), His Excellency Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi (center), His Excellency Mr. Yousef bin Sultan Yousef Laram (right), and His Excellency Mr. Ibrahim Yousef Fakhroo (2nd left), Mrs. Maeda (left) |
Ambassador and Mrs. Maeda welcoming guests |
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| Ambassador Maeda giving a greeting at the ceremony |
The ceremony was held at Baraha Square in the Musheileb district, which was developed on a large scale as a sustainable city. |
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| The show was projected on the wall of M7 Museum in Msheireb |
Many locals gathered to watch the projection mapping |
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| People passing by stopped and enthusiastically photographed on their mobile phones |
Japanese drums, Wa-daiko, were played by volunteers from the Japanese Association |
The Ambassador, Satoshi Maeda, paid a courtesy visit to His Excellency Dr. Sheikh/ Faleh Bin Nasser Bin Ahmed Bin Ali Al-Thani, Minister of Environment and Climate Change. During the meeting, They exchanged their views on further strengthening the bilateral relationship between Japan and Qatar in a wide range of fields, including a cooperation on the issue of climate change, which both countries are actively promoting.
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| Ambassador Maeda (left) and H.E. Dr. Sheikh Faleh Bin Nasser Bin Ahmed Bin Ali Al-Thani (right) |
The Ambassador of Japan to the State of Qatar, Mr.Satoshi Maeda, paid a courtesy visit to His Excellency Ghanem bin Shaheen bin Ghanem Al Ghanem, Minister of Endowments(Awqaf) and Islamic Affairs on November 28,2021. The two officials discussed role of government in religious activities in Qatar and reviewed relations between the two friendly countries.
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| Ambassador Maeda (left) and H.E. Ghanem bin Shaheen bin Ghanem Al Ghanem (right) |
On November 15, 2021, the Ambassador of Japan to the State of Qatar, His Excellency Satoshi Maeda, presented His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar with his predecessor's Letter of Recall and his own Letter of Credence at the Emiri Diwan. Following the ceremony, the Ambassador discuss with His Highness on bilateral relations.
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| The Ambassador Satoshi Maeda presenting his Credentials to H.H. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani |
The Ambassador welcomed by the Guard of Honor at Emiri Diwan |
