News of the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Minsk and Riga

Ambassador: Japanese fans show interest in 2021 IIHF World Championship in Belarus

Hiroki Tokunaga. An archive photo

MINSK, 20 February (BelTA) – Japanese fans are showing a strong interest in the 2021 IIHF World Championship in Belarus, Japan’s Ambassador to Belarus Hiroki Tokunaga noted as he spoke at the commemorative event on the occasion of Japan’s emperor birthday, BelTA has learned.

The diplomat commended the development of Belarus-Japan relations and made an emphasis on the upcoming sports events in the two countries. Tokyo will host the 2020 Summer Olympics and the 2020 Summer Paralympics in which Belarus will participate. Minsk will be the venue of the 2021 IIHF World Championship, in which Japanese fans are showing  interest.

The ambassador touched on the bilateral economic relations. He highlighted the growing demand for Belarusian milk whey that is used in Japan for making healthy products popular with the youth.

The diplomat expressed confidence that the two countries will expand humanitarian contacts. He also noted increased tourist exchange. According to him, the number of Belarusian visitors to Japan has risen by 70%. Since the visa-free travel program was launched, the number of Japanese coming to Belarus has also increased. The ambassador expressed belief that due to large-scale sports championships this exchange will become even more active.

Emperor Naruhito ascended to the throne on 1 May 2019. His father Akihito was the 125th emperor. He was the emperor of Japan for nearly 30 years and made an unprecedented decision last year to abdicate voluntarily citing his advanced age as the reason.

The emperor’s birthday is a state holiday in Japan.

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