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TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN is due to travel to Japan tomorrow, where he will visit Tokyo, Osaka and Hiroshima.
A total of six ministers, not including the Taoiseach, have travelled or are due to travel to Japan this year for a major charm offensive trade push amidst the threat of US tariffs.
Enterprise Minister Peter Burke and Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon, Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton, Media Minister Patrick O’Donovan have already made the trip this year, with Higher Education Minister James Lawless heading there during the summer and Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien due to travel in the autumn.
Japan is Ireland’s second-largest trading partner in the Asia-Pacific region, with annual two-way trade totalling €21.5 billion.
There is a big demand for some Irish produce, such as beef, Irish whiskey, seafood and grain products.
Irish beef tongue is “very big” in Japan, said one official, who added that Donegal oysters are also among highly sought after commodities in Japan.
Japan is the second largest market in Asia for Irish whiskey and the opportunities are growing. In 2020, 55,000 cases of Irish whiskey were sold to Japan, with 206,000 cases sold last year.
With the deadline for Europe to strike a trade deal with the US approaching, Ireland has been on the charm offensive with other nations in a bid to attempt to fill the gap of any trading holes that might emerge. Market diversification is the main show in town right now, said one official.
Japan is a growing export market with over 300 Enterprise Ireland clients doing business in Japan and over 50 Irish companies having representations or presence in the country.
The aim of the Ireland Japan 2025 programme is part of the government’s high-level trade mission programme whereby ministers are tasked with showcasing Ireland’s world-class agri-food sector.
Japan, which has a population of 123 million people, holds lots of opportunities for Ireland, particularly when a cloud of uncertainty is on the horizon.
The country gained access to Irish beef in 2013 and sheep-meat access in 2019.
The Irish agri-food sector exported 34% dairy to Japan, along with 28% pig meat, 10% fish, 12% beverages and 6% animal feed. There is a big push in particular to sell Irish whiskey and gin to Japan.
As part of the Taoiseach’s visit, Martin will attend the Ireland Pavilion at Expo 2025, which is a key part of the Ireland Japan 2025 programme.
A year long series of activities at the Expo have been designed to increase Ireland’s presence and visibility in Japan and this includes the opening of the new Ireland House.
The overall approved budget for the programme is €16.8 million over the three years from 2023 to 2026. Tánaiste Simon Harris has said Ireland completed its pavilion on time and within budget.
Designed by Office of Public Works architects, the Ireland Pavilion is inspired by the ancient Celtic motif of the triskele. The Ireland Pavilion serves as a hub for Irish organisations, Team Ireland and the diaspora, and involves an immersive visitor experience.
It is expected that Expo will attract approximately 28 million visitors, with the government hoping its participation in the Expo will provide a platform for public diplomacy for Ireland.
“Ireland can still remain relatively unknown among the wider Japanese public. The Ireland pavilion has been operating at maximum capacity on a daily basis. We reckon that in excess of six million visitors have attended Expo already,” Tánaiste Simon Harris has said.
As part of the Taoiseach’s trip next week, he will also visit the Peace Memorial Park and Museum at Hiroshima to mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima City and Nagasaki City by the United States in 1945.
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