The Japan-Bulgaria Business Association (JBBA) held its fourth annual meeting at the residence of Ambassador of Japan to Bulgaria Hisashi Michigami on Friday. The diplomat hosted members of the bilateral business organisation, along with representatives of Bulgarian institutions and employer organisations.
Opening the meeting, Michigami said that bilateral relations between Bulgaria and Japan had developed significantly over the past two years, not only in business but also on the political level. The Ambassador also expressed gratitude for the cooperation in the field of culture, noting that cultural exchange helps foster mutual understanding between the two countries.
JBBA Executive Director Todor Kesimov described 2025 as a promising year for bilateral relations, highlighting the opportunity to present Bulgaria at Expo 2025 Osaka. “There are three key factors for success in business – location, location, location. There could hardly be a better place for our annual meeting than the Embassy of Japan in Bulgaria,” Kesimov said, adding that beyond hospitality, “it’s about trust and cooperation”.
Kesimov thanked Michigami for his consistent support in strengthening Bulgaria–Japan relations over the past two years and for being a genuine partner of JBBA.
A welcome address was also delivered by Vasil Todorov, Deputy Chair of the Managing Board of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI). He emphasised the Chamber’s role in supporting bilateral chambers of commerce and associations in Bulgaria and underlined the BCCI’s close and longstanding ties with the Embassy of Japan in Sofia.
“There is great potential for developing and expanding bilateral and multilateral contacts with Japan, as the focus today is on competition and innovation,” Todorov said.
Yasuhiro Kitajima, First Secretary for Economic Affairs at the Embassy of Japan, briefed attendees on Japan’s current economic situation, highlighting exports and business investment as key drivers of GDP growth and capital market performance amid expectations of higher government spending. Kitajima also noted the strong rebound in tourism, with Japan recording a record influx of visitors in 2025, partly due to Expo 2025 in Osaka. Between January and August, 28.4 million tourists visited the country, he said.
The economic attaché also reviewed recent developments in business relations between Bulgaria and Japan. These include the signing of a Strategic Partnership Agreement between the two countries; Toshiba’s contract with the National Electricity Company (NEK) for the restoration of the Chaira pumped-storage hydro power plant; Meiji’s agreement with LB Bulgaricum to establish a research centre for probiotics, expected to begin operations in 2026; and a jointly organized business forum with the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) in June, with JETRO planning to open an office in Bulgaria. Other examples include the construction of a production base by Tri Wall in the Thracian Economic Zone and the strategic cooperation established between Kawasaki Motors and Dronamics.
Among the participants in the meeting was Boyko Takov, Executive Director of the Executive Agency for the Promotion of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME), which coordinated Bulgaria’s preparations for Expo 2025 as part of a designated working group.
Founded in 2021, the Japan-Bulgaria Business Association’s mission is to promote Japanese business in Bulgaria, support future Japanese investors establishing a presence in the country, and strengthen bilateral ties between the two nations. The association has been an active participant in bilateral political and business meetings held this year. Japan-Bulgaria Business Association Holds Fourth Annual Meeting at Ambassador’s Residence THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2025-10-24 19:39:56 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
