From 26 to 30 June 2012, President of the Slovak Republic Ivan Gašparovič with his wife Silvia Gašparovičová paid the first ever official visit of a highest state official of the Slovak Republic to Japan.

The President began his official visit in the region surrounding the city of Sendai, severely damaged by an earthquake and a subsequent tsunami last year. He also visited the damaged part of the city of Ishinomaki and attended a wreath laying ceremony at a place of reverence near the damaged Kadonowaki Elementary School, where dozens of children were killed in the disaster and the subsequent fire. “We are still receiving support from many people and it is also thanks to them that we may continue teaching our children. Your visit is a proof to us that the world can unite for a good cause,” school headmaster Etsumi Saito said.

During his visit to the school, President Ivan Gašparovič highly praised the courage and determination of Japanese people who had worked hard in order to restore their ruined cities. “The Japanese people showed their strong spirit, bravery and courage,” President Ivan Gašparovič emphasised.

The Slovak President handed over a symbolic check worth EUR 10,000 to the hands of the Kadonowaki Elementary School headmaster.

The Slovak presidential couple was received by the Emperor of Japan Akihito and Empress Michiko in the capital city of Tokyo. During the talks with the Imperial Couple, the Slovak President particularly appreciated the awe-inspiring manner in which Japan had managed to overcome the consequences of the devastating natural disaster of March 2011, while they also discussed possibilities to encourage and intensify bilateral cooperation in the area of culture and education.

The Reigning Emperor and his wife in particular praised the gesture President Gašparovič and his wife had made when, following a fifteen-hour-long flight to Japan, they had visited in person several towns and cities in the tsunami-hit Tōhoku region. According to Ivan Gašparovič, the talks in the Imperial Palace were held in an extraordinarily cordial atmosphere, and the Imperial Family showed excellent knowledge of Slovakia’s history and culture. At an official meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, the Slovak President also discussed measures that had to be taken in this intricate time of economic crises. “We are forced to also take unpopular and complex austerity measures to rescue public finances,” Ivan Gašparovič said.

The head of the Slovak Republic invited the Imperial Family of Japan and the Prime Minister to visit Slovakia. “I would like to reinforce our bilateral relations, especially in the economic area. Therefore, I am glad that a memorandum of understanding has been signed between SARIO and JETRO (Japan External Trade Organisation) to encourage our bilateral trade and economic exchange,” the Japanese Prime Minister pointed out.