Embassy of Japan in Bahrain
在バーレーン王国日本国大使館

Bilateral Relations

• The relations between Japan and the Kingdom of Bahrain dates back to the year 1934, in which the first Bahraini oil shipment to Japan occurred after the discovery of oil in Bahrain in 1932.
• 24 August, 1971, recognition of the State of Bahrain by the Government of Japan
• 2 May, 1972, establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Bahrain
• 1 October, 1983, opening of the Liaison Office of the Japanese Embassy in Bahrain
• 27 January, 1988, opening of the Japanese Embassy in Bahrain
• 7 March, 1988, arrival of the first Japanese Ambassador to Bahrain
• 6 September, 2005, opening of the Bahrain Embassy in Japan

Economic Relationship

Projects Accomplished by Japanese Companies

• Many projects have been accomplished by Japanese companies including petrochemical, aluminium, gas and telecommunication projects as well as the designing of the Arab Gulf University building (now University of Bahrain) in Sakhir.
• Other recent projects include pellet and steel plants in Hidd, Hidd IWPP Project.

Japanese Companies in the Kingdom of Bahrain

Number of Japanese companies in Bahrain is 22 (as of December 2014):

• Financial sector: 5 companies
• Trading sector: 2 companies
• Manufacturing related sector: 12 companies
• Other sectors: 3 companies

Economic Development Board Representative Office in Japan

Bahrain Economic Development Board opened an office in Japan in October 2000.

Trade and Technical Cooperation

Apart from the initiatives being taken by Japanese private companies and institutes such as JCCP (Japan Cooperation Center, Petroleum) and JCCME (Japan Cooperation Center for the Middle East) accept trainees from Bahrain and regularly hold seminars in this region. For example, JCCME co-organized Kaizen Seminar in Bahrain in May 2008 and November 2010 with Tamkeen and the Embassy of Japan in Bahrain.

Japan’s Trade Relation with the Kingdom of Bahrain

Japan is one of Bahrain's major trading partners. Volume of trade between Japan and Bahrain reached over 1 Billion US$ in the year 2013 despite the Dubai crisis in 2009 and the unrest in 2011. The figures of trade volume between Bahrain and Japan 2005-2013 are as follows:

Japan’s imports from Bahrain have been mainly petroleum products and aluminium, and Bahrain’s major imports from Japan have been machinery and equipment, and transport equipment.

Japanese Residents in the Kingdom of Bahrain

The number of Japanese residents as of April 2012 is about 250. They have a Japanese Community Association. As of March 2014, 17 students are studying at the Japanese School established in 1984.

Bahrain-Japan Business Friendship Society

The Bahrain-Japan Business Friendship Society was established in August 2008 by leading Bahraini businessmen and Japanese companies in Bahrain in order to encourage cooperative relationships between the two countries in the economic and cultural fields.

Educational and Cultural Relationship

Educational Cooperation

Since 1994, 30 Bahraini university-graduates have gone to Japan for higher studies on the basis of the Japanese Government Scholarship and among them 6 are still studying in Japan (as of April 2014).

The Japanese Studies Centre at the University of Bahrain

Japanese language evening courses have been provided by the Ministry of Educations since 1990 and morning courses at the University of Bahrain since 1991 with the help of the Nomura Bahrain-Japan Friendship Fund. The Japanese Studies Centre opened in the year 2000 at the University of Bahrain.

Ship for World Youth Leaders (SWYLs) Program

Total 116 Bahraini youths have participated in the Ship for World Youth Leaders (SWYLs) Program (Former SWY Program) since 1998. They established the Ship for World Youth Alumni Association / Bahrain in March, 2000. They have been quite active in promoting cultural programs and friendship between the two countries.

Cultural Cooperation

• October 2003, demonstration of OKINAWAN traditional music, dance and Karate on the occasion of the 12th Bahrain international music festival
• December 2003, Le Club Basheraf (Arab music concert by Japanese musicians)
• May 2004, flower arrangement demonstration
• November 2004, Japanese Drum Performance by "Leonald Eto and Leo Project Ensemble"
• February 2006, Karate demonstration
• April 2006, Poetry recital by Madoka Mayuzumi
• January 2007, Japanese traditional music concert
• June2007, Origami workshop
• March 2008, Piano Recital by Toshiki Usui
• May 2008, Japanese calligraphy and tea ceremony demonstration by Kyoko Horie
• February 2009, Japanese economist lecture by Prof. Haruo Shimada
• February 2010, Ikebana demonstration at the Bahrain International Garden Show 2010
• March 2010, Koh-do(Japanese Art of Appreciating Incense) demonstration
• May 2010, Japan Film Festival 2010
• January 2011, Japan Film Festival 2011
• February 2011, IAI-JUTSU demonstration by Masato Matsuura
• January 2012, Ikebana demonstration at the Bahrain International Garden Show 2012
• February 2012, Exhibition "Parallel Nippon: Contemporary Japanese Architecture 1996-2006" organized by the Japan Foundation
• March 2012, Japanese Traditional Drum Performance "Eitetsu Hayashi TAIKO LEGEND-Heart Beat from Japan" organized by the Japan Foundation
• November 2012, Japan Film Festival 2012
• February 2013, Exhibition "The Dolls of Japan" organized by the Japan Foundation
• November 2013, Japan Film Festival 2013
• November 2013, Japanese tea ceremonies by Ms. Makiko SEN and Mr. Koichiro IZUMI(Urasenke)
• March 2014, Exhibition "Makie - The Beauty of Gold Japanese Lacquer -"
• November 2014, Japanese Pop Culture Festival 2014

Nomura Bahrain-Japan Friendship Fund

Established by the Nomura Security Company in June 1990 in order to strengthen bilateral relations through cultural and academic assistance.

Exchange of Visits Between Japan and the Kingdom of Bahrain

Significant visits from Japan to the Kingdom of Bahrain

• Nov. 1994	T.I.H. Crown Prince and Princess	Official visit
  Jun. 2005	H.E. Mr. Kastuyuki Kawai	Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs
  Nov. 2005	H.E. Mr. Katutoshi Kaneda	Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs
  Jan. 2006	H.E. Mr. Fumio Kyuma	Chairman of General Council, Liberal Democratic Party
  Jul. 2006	H.E. Mr. Taro Kimura	Senior Vice-Minister for Defence
  Oct. 2006	H.E. Mr. Takeshi Iwaya	Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs
  Dec. 2006	H.E. Ms. Yuriko Koike	Special Advisor to the Prime Minister
  Jul. 2007	H.E. Mr. Kazunori Tanaka	Senior Vice-Minister for Finance
  Sep. 2007	H.E. Mr. Itsunori Onodera	Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs
  Dec. 2007	H.E. Ms. Yuriko Koike	Former Minister of Defence
  Oct. 2007	H.E. Mr. Minoru Terada	Parliamentary Secretary for Defence
  Apr. 2008	H.E. Mr. Tsutomu Takebe	Chairman, Parliamentary Friendship League
  Jul. 2008	H.E. Mr. Hiroshi Okuda	Special Envoy of the Prime Minister
  Jul. 2008	The Hon. Ryotaro Tanose	Former Senior Vice-Minister for Finance, Member of the House of Representative
  Dec. 2008	H.E. Mr. Ryota Takeda	Parliamentary Secretary for Defence
  Dec. 2008	H.E. Mr. Yoshimasa Hayashi	Former Minister of Defence
  Feb. 2009	The Hon. Gen Nakatani, The Hon. Shigeki Sato, The Hon. Katsuhito Asano	Project Team of the Ruling Party for Counter Piracy
  Mar. 2009	H.E. Mr. Yasutoshi Nishimura	Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs
  May 2009	H.E. Mr. Yasuo Fukuda	Special Envoy of the Prime Minister (Former Prime Minister)
  Dec. 2009	H.E. Mr. Kazuya Shinba	Parliamentary Senior Vice-Minister of Defense
  Dec. 2010	H.E. Mr. Hajime Hirota	Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Defense
  May 2012	H.E. Mr. Mitsu Shimojo	Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Defense
  Jun. 2012	Vice Admiral Katsutoshi Kawano	Commander in Chief, Self Defense Force
  May. 2013	H.E. Mr. Yasuo Fukuda	the former Prime Minister of Japan
  Aug. 2013	H.E. Mr. Shinzo Abe	the Prime Minister of Japan
  Dec. 2013	Lieutenant General Goro Matsumura	Vice Chief of Staff, Joint Staff, Self Defense Force
  Jan. 2014	H.E. Mr. Toru Doi	Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

Significant visits from the Kingdom of Bahrain to Japan

• Oct. 1991	H.H. Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al-Khalifa	The late Amir (private visit)
  Oct. 2004	H.E. Shaikh Abdulaziz bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa	Assistant Undersecretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  Nov. 2005	H.E. Mr. Rasheed Mohammed Al-Maraj	Governor, Bahrain Monetary Agency
  Jun. 2006	H.E. Mr. Rasheed Mohammed Al-Maraj	Governor, Bahrain Monetary Agency
  Mar. 2007	H.E. Shaikha Mai bint Ebrahim Al-Khalifa	Assistant Undersecretary, Ministry of Information
  Aug. 2007	H.E. Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa	President, General Organization for Youth and Sports
  Nov. 2007	Maj. Gen. Abdul Latif Al-Zayani	Chief of Public Security, Ministry of Interior
  Feb. 2008	H.E. Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa	Minister of Foreign Affairs
  Mar. 2008	Dr. Jasim Husain	Member of the Council of Representatives
  Jun. 2008	H.E. Mr. Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Dahrani	Chairman of the Council of Representatives
  Oct. 2008	H.H. Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa	Crown Prince and the Chairman of Economic Development Board
  Oct. 2008	H.E. Shaikh Hussam bin Isa Al-Khalifa	Advisor, Prime Minister's Court
  Nov. 2009	H.E. Mr. Rasheed Mohamed Al-Maraj	Governor, Central Bank of Bahrain
  Nov. 2009	Mr. Nasser M.J.Al-Arayedh	Deputy President of Bahrain-Japan Business Friendship Society
  Feb. 2010	H.E. Shaikh Daij bin Salman Bin Daij Al-Khalifa	Chairman of the General Organization of Sea Ports and Undersecretary of Ministry of Finance
  Feb. 2011	H.E. Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al-Khalifa	Minister of Interior
  Apr. 2012	H.M. King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa	King of the Kingdom of Bahrain (Accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Royal Court, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Commerce & Industry, Minister of Energy, Minister of Education and others)
  Oct. 2012	H.E. Mr. Ahmed bin Mohamed Al Khalifa, H.E. Mr. Rasheed Mohamed Al Maraj	Minister of Finance Governor, Central Bank of Bahrain
  Mar. 2013	H.R.H. Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa	Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander of Bahrain Defense Force, and First Deputy Prime Minister (Accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Transportation and others)
  Sep. 2013	H.H. Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa	The Fourth Son of H.M. King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
  Feb. 2014	H.E. Dr. Salah bin Ali Abdulrahman	Minister of Human Rights