I was invited to attend the ceremony on 22 August hosted by the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo United Nations Pavilion and the luncheon hosted by the Expo Association. Mr. Katsura and Mr. Takai also attended the ceremony. The ceremony was attended by Her Imperial Highness Princess Tsuguko, followed by opening remarks by Miyaji Takuma, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, and a speech by Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General. The program included a video performance of Yo-Yo Ma’s cello playing, a performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 “Eroica” by the UN Orchestra, and a choral performance by the Osaka Kwansei Gakuin University Mixed Chorus.
I was able to greet Secretary-General Guterres and Ambassador Yamazaki Kazuyuki of the Japanese Mission to the United Nations for the first time in a year. At the luncheon hosted by the Expo Association that followed, I had the opportunity to greet many prominent figures, including Aizawa Ichiro, a member of the House of Representatives, whom I do not usually have the chance to meet. After the luncheon, Secretary-General Guterres visited the UN Pavilion and viewed the UN Peace Bell. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Ichikawa Naomi of the UN Pavilion and Fukuhara Koji of the Expo Association for their kind consideration.
