The Economic Attaché of the Japanese Embassy explains why he feels comfortable in Kazakhstan and how cooperation between the two countries is developing.
About myself
I have always been interested in the culture and history of other countries. When I was in school, I used to read Wikipedia. My search queries were things like: “History of Czechoslovakia,” “Dissolution of the Soviet Union,” “Relations between Albania and Western Europe”. At the same time, I began studying the Russian language and continued my lessons in college. I planned to use it in my future work. There aren't many places in Japan where Russian is required, which is probably why I went into diplomacy.
I graduated from the Faculty of Law at Kyoto University and later earned a master’s degree in International Law in the Netherlands. I also completed courses for diplomats at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo. After that, I was posted for my first assignment in Kazakhstan.
During my student days, I spent one month in Moscow, and there I developed quite warm relationships with people from Central Asia. In supermarkets or restaurants, people would say to me, “Hey brother, hello!” — they mistook me for a local. It’s amazing how similar we look. When I walk around the city, people think I’m Kazakh. It’s the only country in the world, besides Japan, where I feel comfortable. Since I speak Russian quite decently, I can pass for a Kazakh who speaks Russian with an accent.
About my work
I work in the Economic and Economic Cooperation Department of the Japanese Embassy. I write reports on Kazakhstan’s domestic and foreign trade and economic situation. I assist Japanese companies that are represented here. I’m also responsible for the development of economic projects.
We provide funding to hospitals, schools, and public organizations. At the end of a project, we are invited to see the results: school buses, medical equipment. These events are usually accompanied by a ceremony and lunch. Almost always, we are served beshbarmak. Once, we went to Taraz, and they served beshbarmak for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It was quite an interesting experience. In Japan, we also eat horse meat, but we eat it raw.
About Central Asia
I’ve been living in Kazakhstan for almost a year and a half. I arrived at midnight. On the way from the airport to the hotel, the streets were empty, and there were hardly any cars. We passed Bayterek and the ministry buildings — everything looked futuristic. I had a slightly different idea of Kazakhstan, but when I arrived in Astana, I was pleasantly surprised.
In Astana, there is a café called Momo, where they serve authentic homemade Japanese food, the kind that moms typically make at home. Many people think Japanese cuisine is expensive and imagine sushi, but in reality, making authentic Japanese food isn’t that difficult, and it’s much cheaper.
On working in Central Asia
One of the major historical interactions between our countries involved the issues of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site and the drying of the Aral Sea.
In the 1990s, research from Hiroshima and Nagasaki helped assess the impact of nuclear testing on the population at the Semipalatinsk site. Cooperation in the fields of medicine and science continues to this day.
This year, I supervised a small project at the hospital affiliated with Semey Medical University, where we installed call buttons by patient beds for medical staff.
We also have an exchange program for medical students between the universities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
In Kurchatov, there are research nuclear reactors, and we provide technical support for them. During the Fukushima disaster, research from Kurchatov helped in mitigating the consequences of the accident.
In 2026, a direct flight between Almaty and Tokyo is planned to launch. It will be a code-share agreement between Air Astana and Japan Airlines. This flight opens up great opportunities for the development of tourism and business.
I am inspired by the youth in Kazakhstan: creative individuals, social workers, civil servants. They are full of energy, creative, and you can see in their eyes that they want to change the country for the better. They are well-educated, learn several languages, and know a lot about the country and the world. For example, many of the local embassy staff are fluent in Japanese, which is simply incredible.
This is my first job at an embassy abroad. When I face challenges, these people inspire me to keep going and to do my work even better.
