Japan-Guam Relations
2021/2/2
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| Japan-Guam Relations at a Glance | |
| 1. Our History Between December 10th of 1941 and July 21st of 1944, for about 31 months, the island of Guam was occupied by the then Imperial Japanese Forces. During this period, a number of tragedies occurred on the island. Every summer, especially on Liberation Day, we humbly take a moment to remember and honor those who were forced to experience the atrocities of the war. At the same time, the war is a reminder for all of us that the peace and prosperity we enjoy today is because of the sacrifices and efforts made by those who perished before us, the survivors and their descendants. Their perseverance has led the way in rebuilding this beautiful and peaceful island. Since the war ended, we, the people of Japan, including the Japanese residents on the island, have long strived in our own way for a brighter future as a citizen of a peace-loving nation. Today, Japan and Guam have come to forge a deep friendship, and our strong ties exemplify our unwavering commitment to world peace. 2. Tourism & Economy It was in the middle of the 1970s when an increasing number of Japanese tourists started to come to Guam. It began with only 163,000 Japanese tourists in 1975, but as they fell in love with the beautiful island, the number grew bigger and bigger. In 1997, Guam welcomed more than 1,130,000 Japanese tourists, which is the record high number. At that time, more than 80% of the overall tourists were Japanese people. Thanks to the surge of tourism, many Japanese companies have invested on Guam. Today, the island is home to more than 100 Japanese companies in a wide range of industries, including but not limited to, hotels, travel agencies, construction, telecommunications and insurance. In recent years before the pandemic of COVID-19, Japanese tourists made up about 40% - 50% of the total tourists, bringing a huge impact to the local economy. 3. Culture & Education The Japanese culture, especially Japanese food, is very popular in every corner of our daily lives; Ramen, Onigiri, Karaage, Sushi... too many to list. Also, the annual Autumn Festival, or "Akimatsuri", which is hosted by the Japan Club of Guam, offers a chance to feel what the Japanese culture is really like. Surprisingly, nearly 40,000 people (almost 25% of the total population!) visit the festival every year. People-to-People exchange is also very active between Japan and Guam. The island has friendship agreements with some Japanese cities such as Kashiwa-City of Chiba Prefecture, Okayama-City of Okayama Prefecture and Karatsu-City of Saga Prefecture. Also, the University of Guam has partnerships with several Japanese universities. On Guam, many students are learning Japanese. Some people took advantage of the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, or the JET Program, and spent a few years in Japan to teach English to Japanese students. The JET Program, sponsored by the Government of Japan, provides passionate young people with a rare opportunity to teach English and experience the life in Japan as a cultural Ambassador. 4. Military Partnership Based on the international agreement with the U.S., Japan is providing up to approximately 3.1 billion USD to partially cover the overall cost of the realignment plan to move the U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam (the Buildup). The Japanese funding, called "Mamizu", is now being used for the construction projects on Guam, many of which are awarded to the local contractors. In August of 2020, the Defense Minister of Japan and the U.S. Secretary of Defense met on Guam and reaffirmed their commitment to the realignment plan. The relocation is scheduled to begin in the first half of the 2020s. In order to deepen the Japan-U.S. alliance, the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. Forces regularly participate in joint military exercises on and around Guam. For this purpose, more than 20,000 Japan Self-Defense Force Personnel visited the island between 2015 and 2020. While on Guam, they stay in the local hotels, eat at local restaurants, and shop at local supermarkets. 5. Japanese Residents on Guam As of January of 2021, there are more than 3,100 Japanese residents on Guam. Some of them have stayed on the island for several decades and call Guam home. The Japan Club of Guam, which was founded in 1972, actively engages in cultural activities and plays an important role in promoting Japanese culture and deepening the Japan-Guam friendship. |
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