Abu Dhabi: Food from Hokkaido, a beautiful prefecture in Japan, is expected to a make cultural bridge between Japanese and Emiratis, further strengthening the people-to-people relations, according to Japanese officials.
A Food Fair at the Japanese Ambassador’s residence on Wednesday introduced a variety of foods from Hokkaido, a northernmost island in Japan, known for its fresh agricultural produce. A group of invited guests had a chance to taste various Hokkaido food at the fair organised by the Japanese Embassy, Hokkaido Government, and Hokkaido Food Industry Promotion Organisation.
Welcoming the guests to the fair, Kanji Fujiki, Japanese Ambassador to the UAE, said the Japanese and the UAE governments had already given a priority to the cooperation between their food industries. He said promotion of Hokkaido food in the UAE would help enhance that cooperation. “I hope Hokkaido food will be able to penetrate to the UAE people’s hearts and minds,” the envoy said.
Rashid Mohammad Al Shariqi, Director General of Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, was the chief guest at the event.
Ryosuke Kobayashi, executive director of Hokkaido Economic Federation, told Gulf News that the food promotion would enhance cultural relations also, apart from business links. “Food is an important element of any culture. When we promote our food in the UAE, it will help strengthen the cultural relations,” he said.
He said about $15 million (Dh55.05 million) worth of Japanese foods were exported to the UAE annually, in which the share of Hokkaido food was negligible. “We want to increase that share by promoting the food among all people in the UAE, especially Emiratis.”
He said Hokkaido received around two million visitors a year, who promoted the “Hokkaido brand”. Most of the visitors are from China and Southeast Asian nations. “Now we expect visitors from the UAE also to enjoy the beautiful landscape of Hokkaido,” Kobayashi said.
