President Ma Ying-jeou met on the morning of May 9 with Chairperson Ayahiko Matsumoto of the Association to Promote Japanese-Taiwanese Sports & Culture, as well as descendants of renowned Japanese hydraulic engineer Yoichi Hatta (1886-1942). The president extended a sincere welcome to the visitors on behalf of the government and people of the ROC, and expressed his deepest appreciation to them.
In remarks, President Ma commented that in recognition of the contributions to Taiwan by Mr. Hatta, after taking office five years ago he immediately instructed related authorities to construct the Yoichi Hatta Memorial Park. This, the president said, was aimed at further expressing the fondness and gratitude of the people of Taiwan to Mr. Hatta. The park formally opened on May 8, 2011, he noted, and it has since become an important destination for tourists from both Taiwan and Japan.
The president stated that Mr. Hatta didn't leave many things behind in Taiwan, so the descendants of hydraulic engineer Hatasu Seki (關毅), a close friend of Mr. Hatta, have come to Taiwan this time to provide various letters and documents that will be displayed at the Yoichi Hatta Memorial Museum. The president commented that these items are extremely valuable. For instance, he explained, the people of Taiwan originally did not know that Mr. Hatta in the planning of the Wushantou Reservoir and the irrigation canals in the Chiayi Plain had paid a visit to mainland China and exchanged opinions with officials in Fujian Province about the planned infrastructure project. Putting these valuable documents on display will help the public here better understand Mr. Hatta, the president said.
President Ma added that Chairperson Matsumoto has visited Taiwan 120 times and is one of Taiwan's oldest friends. He has come to Taiwan each year since 2004 to promote the planting of "friendship cherry trees," and regularly participates in the Taipei City marathon. In addition, the president said, Chairperson Matsumoto also helped arrange for former Japanese Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu to visit Taiwan in 2011. In 2012, he organized a group of six Japanese swimmers who sought to swim from Japan to northeastern Taiwan by "hitching a ride" on the Kuroshio Current. All of these activities have helped to enhance bilateral ties, which is why the Ministry of Foreign Affairs two years ago presented a medal of honor to Chairperson Matsumoto in recognition of his longstanding contributions, President Ma commented.
The president stated that Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, in issuing congratulatory remarks upon the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Japan Interchange Association, had commented that the close economic relationship between Taiwan and Japan and the frequent dealings between people on both sides make Taiwan an important partner of Japan. The president said he fully agrees with these remarks.
President Ma mentioned that after many years of efforts, the two countries finally on April 10 this year signed a fisheries agreement, which marks important progress in resolving fishing disputes between the two countries. The president said that this not only constitutes the completion of a historically important mission, but also is a new milestone in the friendly relations between the two sides.
President Ma stated that two years ago Taiwan and Japan signed the Taiwan-Japan Bilateral Investment Arrangement as well as an open skies agreement. These two pacts have had an enormous significance in bolstering ties. At present, he commented, airports in Taiwan, such as Taichung City and Tainan City, have begun direct flights to the Japanese airports of Shizuoka and Kanazawa, which means that people no longer have to take a circuitous route between these cities. The president noted that the number of airports in secondary cities served has increased by 90%, while the number of flights has risen by 45%, marking unprecedented progress in the aviation history of the two nations.
With respect to bilateral cultural ties, President Ma remarked, items from the collection of Taiwan's National Palace Museum are scheduled to be displayed in Tokyo and Fukuoka between June and November of next year. He pointed out that items from the museum have previously been exhibited in four cities in the United States and in three European nations. However, this marks the first time that works of art from the museum will be displayed in Asia, which points to new horizons in cultural ties between Taiwan and Japan, he said. In addition, Japan's Takarazuka Revue last month presented its first public performances in Taiwan. The shows were extremely well received, the president commented, adding that this also marked a new page in bilateral cultural ties.
President Ma also remarked that there were 7.31 million tourist arrivals in Taiwan last year, of which Japanese accounted for 1.43 million, or 20% of the total. This set a new high and was also an increase of 10% from the previous year's 1.29 million tourist arrivals from Japan. Meanwhile, he said, ROC nationals last year made 1.56 million visits to Japan, up about 37% from the previous year. Taiwan's population is only one-fifth of Japan's, but the number of ROC nationals visiting Japan actually was higher than the number of Japanese visitors to Taiwan last year, he noted. President Ma expressed confidence that increased direct flights between the two countries will make it easier for Japanese to travel to Taiwan. He expressed hope that this will also pave the way for further enhancement of substantive relations.
The delegation also included Japan's Interchange Association Taipei Office Chief Representative Sumio Tarui, as well as descendants of Mr. Yoichi Hatta and Mr. Hatasu Seki. The group was accompanied to the Presidential Office by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ting Joseph Shih (石定) to meet President Ma. Also attending the meeting was National Security Council Advisor Lee Chia-chin (李嘉進).