On March 4th, 2007, the Embassy of Panama to Japan participated in Ikebana International Fair 2006 – 2007, organized by the I.I. Tokyo Founding Chapter, which took place at the Tokyo Prince Hotel in Tokyo.

During the event, beautiful flower arrangements are exhibited. In addition, it is important to mention that this is the largest annual charity and fundraising event of the Tokyo chapter. This year, the donations collected at the fair will be delivered to UNICEF and THE CARDIAC CHILDREN FOUNDATION OF THAILAND.

Several Diplomatic Missions accredited to Tokyo participated and exhibited handicrafts and dishes from their countries, providing tourism information to visitors.

This year, the Embassy of the Republic of Panama presented molas and Panamanian handicrafts, and also distributed brochures in Japanese about general information, tourism, indigenous groups, ecotourism, historical sites and world heritages, as well as shopping in Panama.

Mrs. Carla Marotta de Martiz, Wife of the Ambassador of Panama to Japan, took the opportunity to give an exotic Panamanian orchid to H.I.H. Princess Takamado. The orchid’s name is Phramipedium Caudatum, which was recently exhibited at the Panama booth during the Grand Prix International Orchid Festival 2007 at Tokyo Dome.

From left to right, Mrs. Carla Marotta de Martiz, Wife of the Ambassador of Panama to Japan, H.E. Alfredo Martiz, Ambassador of Panama, and H.I.H. Princess Takamado, who was visiting our exhibition booth.

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Panama in the Japan Grand Prix International Orchid Festival 2007

From February 24 to March 4, 2007, the Republic of Panama in Japan participated in the Japan Grand Prix International Orchid Festival 2007 held at the Tokyo Dome in the city of Tokyo.

Japan Grand Prix International Orchid Festival 2007 is one of the largest orchid exhibition in the world, organized by the Grand Prix Committee, the newspaper company “Yomiuri”, and the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK).  The event was also supported by the following foreign and Japanese institutions: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, the Metropolitan government of Tokyo, the World Orchid Conference, the American Orchid Society, and the Royal Horticulture Society of England.

Every year one country is selected as a Special Overseas Exhibitor, and this year the Republic of Panama was chosen after a sustained effort of the Panamanian Embassy in Japan, which presented to the Organizing Committee the great quantity and specialty of endemic orchids that grow in Panama. The national orchids were supplied by Mr. Andrés Maduro from Dracula Farm, located in Cerro Punta, Province of Chiriqui, Panama. 

The program included the opening ceremony with the participation of H.I.H. Princess Takamado, member of the Imperial House, and a live interview about Panama and the Panamanian orchids by the Ambassador of Panama, H.E. Dr. Alfredo Martiz, aired by Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK), providing an opportunity to introduce our country all over Japan.  Also, Mr. Andrés Maduro delivered a speech on different species of orchids growing in our country. 

This year festival’s theme was “the Greek Mythology”, describing pavilions of Apollo, god of the Sun, and Artemis, goddess of the Moon, which were located in the orchid avenue in the center of the Tokyo Dome. The event counted on the presence of 25 countries and regions of the world, and exhibited around 100,000 varieties of orchids, including more than 1,500 Panamanian orchids.  There were prizes for the sum of US$150,000 awarded in different categories such as individual, fragrance, design of the exhibitor’s stands, flower arrangement, art and garden of orchids in miniature.  Every year the festival is visited by an average of 450,000 persons.

The Embassy of Panama in Japan, in cooperation with the Organizing Committee, contributed with the organization and decoration of the orchid exhibition booth and the Panamanian tourism booth, which provided brochures with general information, eco-tourism, native cultures, world heritages, and shopping information of Panama. The orchid exhibition booth also included a section for the conservation of the national orchids. 

The participation of Panama in the event has been considered a success in view of the great number of visitors, the large advertising campaign carried out by the organizers and the live TV program through NHK, which gave the audience the opportunity to appreciate a documentary of Panama, an explanatory interview by the Ambassador and the orchids booth of Panama.  A segment of the event, the documentary and the live interview can be seen at our website. (www.embassyofpanamainjapan.org)

It is important to point out that the event has served as an important platform for the promotion of the Panamanian tourism in general and observation of orchids in particular, where we exhibited the conservationist effort of Panama.  Also, it has become a window of opportunity for the Panamanian orchid producers to get business contacts and eventually to have access to this important market, where people have an extraordinary love for orchids.

The Embassy of Panama also received the strong support of the Tokyo-based Association for the Conservation of Panamanian Wild Orchids (COSPA), through the work of its volunteers.

Exhibition booth of Panama as Special Overseas Exhibit “Orchids of Panama: Admire some of the many natural wonders we possess”	Visitors at the Japan Grand Prix International Orchid Festival 2007
From left to right at our exhibition booth, H.I.H. Princess Takamado, H.E. Dr. Alfredo Martiz, Ambassador of Panama to Japan, and Mr. Andrés Maduro, well-known Panamanian orchids specialist	From left to right, H.E. Dr. Alfredo Martiz, Ambassador of Panama to Japan, Mrs. Akie Abe, First Lady of Japan, Mrs. Carla Marotta de Martiz, Wife of the Ambassador of Panama, Mr. Andrés Maduro and his wife Mrs. Gloria de Maduro.

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Courtesy Visit of ITOCHU Corporation

On January 10th, 2007, Mr. Hiroshi HASHIMOTO, Senior Advisor to ITOCHU Corporation, paid a courtesy visit to H.E. Dr. Alfredo Martiz, Ambassador of Panama to Japan, on the occasion of his trip to Panama to explore investment opportunities, including the Panama Canal Expansion Project.

From left to right, Mr. Hiroshi Hashimoto, Senior Advisor to ITOCHU Corporation, and H.E. Dr. Alfredo Martiz, Ambassador of Panama to Japan.

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Courtesy Visit of Next Resident Representative of JICA Panama Office

On January 10th, 2007, Mr. Yukio NOGUCHI, Senior Assistant to the Director General, Procurement Dept. of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) paid a courtesy visit to H.E. Dr. Alfredo Martiz, Ambassador of Panama to Japan, in the occasion of his recent designation as Resident Representative of JICA, Panama Office.

JICA’s efforts in Panama are focused on poverty alleviation and environmental protection. The visit paid by Mr. Noguchi further strengthens the excellent relationship that already exists between JICA and the Republic of Panama.

From left to right, Mr. Yukio Noguchi, recently designated as Resident Representative of JICA Panama Office and H.E. Dr. Alfredo Martiz, Ambassador of Panama to Japan.

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Courtesy Visit to Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs

On January 4th, 2007, H.E. Dr. Alfredo Martiz, Ambassador of Panama to Japan, paid a visit to Ms. Midori Matsushima, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan in order to hold a preparatory dialogue in the occasion of a visit to Panama paid by the Vice Minister Matsushima from January 13th to 15th, 2007.

During the meeting with Ambassador Martiz, Vice Minister Matsushima expressed her interest in Panama Canal affairs. This occasion was also a great opportunity to deepen diplomatic and political relations between the Republic of Panama and Japan.

From left to right, Ms. Midori Matsushima, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, H.E. Dr. Alfredo Martiz, Ambassador of Panama to Japan, and Mr. Yasunori Yamashita, former journalist

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