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| Director of the Asia and Australia Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ms. Felista Rugambwa, and Mr. Horonori Suzuki, Director of the Second Africa Division in the African Affairs Department of Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. |
Tanzania and Japan have committed to continuing to strengthen and expand the scope of their long-standing cooperation by advancing areas of mutual interest that will drive development and bring benefits to both nations.
This commitment was expressed on September 14, 2026, in Dodoma during bilateral talks between the Director of the Asia and Australia Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ms. Felista Rugambwa, and Mr. Horonori Suzuki, Director of the Second Africa Division in the African Affairs Department of Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During the talks, the two sides discussed ways to advance cooperation in development, infrastructure, trade and investment, as well as to strengthen people-to-people relations between Tanzanians and Japanese.
In addition, the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to continue building and strengthening this cooperation in order to increase mutual benefits, promote friendly relations and contribute to Tanzania’s sustainable development.
Historically ,The Japanese government’s support for Tanzania’s development efforts dates back to 1966, when Japan extended its first concessional loan to Tanzania. Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) were first sent to Tanzania in 1967. Tanzania was the second country in the African continent to accept JOCV. Since then, more than 1,700 volunteers have been sent to Tanzania, working at the grassroots level in the fields of agriculture, education, health, local administration, etc.
The Japanese government has prioritized the development of socioeconomic infrastructure such as roads, electricity supply and water supply, as well as the transfer of technology related to rice production and irrigation. Tanzania is one of the largest recipients of the Japanese aid in Sub-Sahara Africa.
In most years, a number of Tanzanians are selected by the Japanese government to receive scholarships to study medicine, science, etc. They are one of the symbols of the friendship between the two countries.
This relationship has a rich history, sustained by productive cooperation and progress; as such, the partnership is expected to serve as a pillar for exchanging experience in technology, investment, agriculture, and trade, thereby spurring development between the two countries.