TEHRAN—Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri, in a meeting with Japan’s Ambassador to Iran, Tsukada Tamaki, emphasized on history of cultural cooperation and mutual capacities in tourism, education, sports and handicrafts sectors and opened new horizons in Iran-Japan ties.

Stating that Iranian nation considers Japan as a noble, committed, peace-loving, and rational nation, he said, the general mentality of the Iranian people towards Japan is positive and full of mutual respect, and this social asset is an excellent platform for deepening cultural and historical ties between two nations, ILNA reported.

Emphasizing the necessity of using Japan's experiences in the areas of cultural management, the educational system, technology, and bureaucracy, he said: "Japan has a distinguished experience in the field of combining tradition and modernity, a model that can be an inspiration for the process of localizing progress in Asian countries, including Iran."

He continued that Iran and Japan rank 10th and 11th in the world in terms of the number of historical monuments and sites registered on the UNESCO World Heritage list respectively.

This symbolic alignment is a sign of the historical depth of the civilizations of the two nations and lays the foundation for effective cultural exchange between East and West Asia, he said.

He proposed creating a joint exhibition network in the capitals of the two countries, adding: Holding fairs of Iranian civilization in Tokyo and representation of Japanese art in Tehran is an introduction to redefining the mutual image of nations towards each other in light of cultural originalities. 

Pointing to various tourism genres in Iran, the minister said Iran has all 20 recognized types of tourism in the world, from health, religious, and historical tourism to nature and creative tourism. This huge potential could become a point of attraction for Japanese tourists in case of smart introduction, he added.

Salehi-Amiri pointed out that unfortunately the image of Iran portrayed in some Western media is at odds with the existing realities. Japan is an independent, thoughtful country that relies on political rationality and will certainly not be captured by these biased portrayals, he said. Iran’s security is higher than other regional countries, he added.

He proposed that inviting Japan’s cultural, tourism and media personalities to visit Iran can pave the grounds for improving the image of Iran in Japanese public opinion.

“We are ready to host high-ranking delegations of Japanese heads of travel agencies.

The minister said Iranian and Japanese handicrafts are the delicate and soulful legacies of ancient nations. Japan can be a target market for Iranian traditional arts and vice versa, he added.

“We are also ready to build a cultural bridge between Iranian homes and Eastern art through gaining deeper understanding of Japanese art.”

Japan’s Ambassador to Iran, for his part, said that learning a language is a prelude to a deeper understanding of the culture, art, politics, and trade of nations.

Tamaki added, “Understanding Iran is a cultural mission for us, not just a diplomatic one. I have always sought a deeper understanding of your cultural roots, educational system, and arts during my travels to Iran.”

The year 2029 marks the 100th anniversary of the official establishment of diplomatic ties between Iran and Japan, he said. 
This historic occasion will be a unique opportunity to design a cultural, civilizational, and strategic movement in bilateral relations, he added.

KD