Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Japan’s Digital Transformation Minister KONO Taro attended a Ramadan Iftar on Tuesday at the residence of Kuwaiti ambassador Sami Al-Zamanan. The event was organized by the council of Arab ambassadors and heads of missions in Tokyo.

Ambassador Al-Zamanan welcomed Kono and the guests and said the holy month of Ramadan was a chance to promote mutual respect.

Kono told Arab News Japan: “I enjoyed delicious food and interesting conversation and good company.  I enjoyed it tremendously.”

He added: “As minister for digital transformation, I think I could do a lot of things with countries in the Middle East, so I am very much looking forward to making another trip to the region. Hopefully, I can sign many MoUs with Middle Eastern countries. I think Japan and the region can work together to improve our lives through digital technology.”

The ambassadors of Palestine, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Mauritania and Djibouti attended the event.

Kono, who has close connections to Arab and Middle Eastern countries, belongs to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party of Japan and previously served as Foreign and Defense Minister. 

Among the public, he is often seen as one of the most popular candidates to become prime minister.

He is known for his outspokenness, as well as having a strong social media presence with over 2.4 million Twitter followers.

A Georgetown University graduate, the ninth-term lower house member is one of only a few Japanese politicians who is able to communicate with his overseas counterparts in fluent English.