Looking back on 2025
2025/8/6
Thank you for your continued interest in our activities. I regret to inform you that I have made the decision to return to Japan despite the fact that I am in the middle of my term of office. I will now concentrate my efforts on treatment for a chronic illness in Tokyo. My work and life in Ireland over the past six months have been very fulfilling, and I have made many interesting new contacts. The warmth of the people I met in Ireland, both publicly and privately, made me fall more deeply in love with this country, and I was very much looking forward to continuing to serve as Ambassador here. There was so much I wanted to do, and I sincerely apologise for having to depart before bringing these plans to fruition.
2025, is an important year for Japan-Ireland relations. A number of important events have taken place this year such as the opening of Ireland House in Tokyo, the exhibition of the Irish Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, MYAKU-MYAKU's visit to Ireland to promote the Expo, the debut of NHK's autumn morning drama “The Ghostwriter’s Wife” (the story of Irishman Lafcadio Hearn and his Japanese wife) and, above all, the visit of the Taoiseach to Japan, the Japan-Ireland Summit, and the visits to Japan by many Irish Government ministers. Moreover, with the tremendous support of my wife Kaoru in public relations, cultural activities, and the promotion of Japanese language education, I have been able to build a wide range of personal connections. I have many ideas and plans for the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries in 2027, but from now I intend to provide support from the sidelines.
In addition to the people that I have written about in my messages here, there are many others that I would like to introduce you to. This will be my last message from Ireland, but I would like to continue writing messages of this kind from elsewhere in the future.
Thank you very much for all your support and encouragement.
2025, is an important year for Japan-Ireland relations. A number of important events have taken place this year such as the opening of Ireland House in Tokyo, the exhibition of the Irish Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, MYAKU-MYAKU's visit to Ireland to promote the Expo, the debut of NHK's autumn morning drama “The Ghostwriter’s Wife” (the story of Irishman Lafcadio Hearn and his Japanese wife) and, above all, the visit of the Taoiseach to Japan, the Japan-Ireland Summit, and the visits to Japan by many Irish Government ministers. Moreover, with the tremendous support of my wife Kaoru in public relations, cultural activities, and the promotion of Japanese language education, I have been able to build a wide range of personal connections. I have many ideas and plans for the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries in 2027, but from now I intend to provide support from the sidelines.
In addition to the people that I have written about in my messages here, there are many others that I would like to introduce you to. This will be my last message from Ireland, but I would like to continue writing messages of this kind from elsewhere in the future.
Thank you very much for all your support and encouragement.
SHIMADA Junji
Ambassador of Japan to Ireland
Ambassador of Japan to Ireland