Jordan-Japan Bilateral Relations

Background:
Diplomatic relations between Jordan and Japan were established on July 14, 1954.   Embassies in both Jordan and Japan were opened in 1974 with Ambassadors Amer Shammout and Minao TSUCHIYA serving as the first resident ambassadors (Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary) to Jordan and Japan. 

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1954, Jordan and Japan have enjoyed friendly bilateral relations and warm friendship. Throughout the past decades and under the leadership of HM King Abdullah II, our partnership has steadily evolved and continues to develop fueled by mutual respect and shared values and vision for a more humane and peaceful world.  Our longstanding relations are further bolstered by the exceptional friendship between the Royal and Imperial families of Jordan and Japan. 

Frequent summit meetings between HM King Abdullah II and PM ABE Shinzo, as well as ministerial and high-level official meetings have all underpinned areas of cooperation and mutual interest. The recent elevation of bilateral relations to strategic level bode well for increased collaboration in areas covering economic, security, people to people, cultural, academic and parliamentary affairs.

Official Visits: From Jordan to Japan

Year Name
1974 HRH. Prince El Hassan bin Talal
1976 H.M. King Al Hussein bin Talal
1982 H.M. King Al Hussein bin Talal
1983 H.M. King Al Hussein bin Talal
1987 Foreign Minister Taher Al Masri
1988 HRH. Prince El Hassan bin Talal and HRH Princess Sarvath El Hassan.
1989 H.M. King Al Hussein bin Talal (Feb.)
HM. Queen Noor Al Hussein (Oct.)
1990 HRH. Prince El Hassan bin Talal and HRH Princess Sarvath El Hassan.
1991 Minister of Planning Dr. Abudullah Nsour (Jan.)
Minister of Planning Dr. Ziad Fariz (Sep.)
1993 HRH Princess Haya bint Al Hussein (Jul.)
HRH Princess Basma bint Talal (Oct.)
HRH Prince Abdullah bin Al Hussein (Nov.)
Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdelsalam Al-Majali (Dec.)
1994 HRH Princess Haya bint Al Hussein
1995 HRH. Prince El Hassan bin Talal and HRH Princess Sarvath El Hassan.
1998 HRH Prince Abdullah Ibn Al Hussein
1999 Minister of Finance Michel Marto (Jun.)
Their Majesties King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein and Queen Rania Al Abdullah (Dec.)
2000 HRH. Prince Hamzah Ibn Al Hussein.
2001 Prime Minister Ali Abu Al-Ragheb
2002 Minister of Foreign Affairs Marwan Al-Muasher (May)
HM. King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein (Jun.)
2003 Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Bassem Awadallah (Feb.)
HRH Princess Basma bint Talal (Oct.)
2004 Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Bassem Awadallah (Feb. and Oct.)
HM King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein (Dec.)
2005 Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Suhair Al-Ali (Jun.)
HM King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein (Dec.)
2006 HRH. Prince El Hassan bin Talal (Aug.)
Their Majesties King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein and Queen Rania Al Abdullah  (Dec.)
2007 HRH Princess Muna Al Hussein (May)
HRH Princess Raiyah bint Al Hussein (Jul.)
2008 HRH. Prince El Hassan bin Talal (May)
Foreign Minister Salaheddin Al-Bashir (Jul.)
HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan (Oct.)
HRH Princess Raiyah bint Al Hussein (Dec.)
2009 Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Suhair Al-Ali (Mar.)
HM King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein (Apr.)
Minister of Social Development Hala Lattouf (Dec.)
2010 Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Dr. Jafar Hassan (Mar.)
HM King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein (Apr.)
Minister of Public Sector Development and Minister of State for Mega-Projects Imad Fakhoury, and Minister of Information and Communication Technology Marwan Juma (Jul.)
Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Samir Rifai, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Khalid Irani, Minister of Industry and Trade Amer Hadidi, Minister of Transport Alaa Batayneh, Minister of Public Sector Development and Minister of State for Mega-Projects Imad Fakhoury, and Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Dr. Jafar Hassan (Oct.)
HRH. Prince Ali bin Al Hussein (Nov.)
2011 Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Dr. Jafar Hassan (Jun.)
HRH Prince Faisal bin Al Hussein (Jul.)
HRH Prince Mired bin Ra’ad (Oct.)
HRH. Prince Ali bin Al Hussein (Dec.)
2012 Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Dr. Jafar Hassan (Mar.)
HRH Princess Muna Al Hussein (Jun.)
2013 Speaker of the Senate Taher Al-Masri (Sep.)
Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Dr. Ibrahim Saif (Dec.)
2014 HRH Prince Ali bin Al Hussein (May)
HM King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein (Nov.)
2015 HRH Prince Faisal bin Al Hussein (Jun.)
Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Imad Fakhoury (Dec.)

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Nasser Judeh (Dec.)
HRH Prince Ali bin Al Hussein (Dec.)
2016 Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Imad Fakhoury (Oct.)
HM King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein (Oct.)
Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Dr. Ibrahim Saif (Nov.)
HRH Prince Faisal bin Al Hussein (Nov.)
2017 HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan (May)
Prime Minister Dr. Hani Al-Mulki (Jul.)
HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan (Nov.)
2018 Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi (Mar.)
Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Mary Kawar(Nov.)
HRH Princess Dina Mired (Nov.)
HRH Prince Faisal bin Al Hussein and HRH Princess Zeina Al Faisal (Nov.)
Their Majesties King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein and Queen Rania Al Abdullah (Nov.)
2019 HRH Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah’s visit to Tokyo, to participate in the Enthronement Ceremony of His Majesty Emperor Naruhito of Japan, during which HRH also met with H.E. Prime Minister ABE Shinzo. (Oct)
The visit of His Excellency Speaker of the House of Representatives Mr. Atef Tarawneh and a parliamentary delegation to Tokyo. (Nov)
2021 HRH. Prince Faisal bin Al Hussein. (July)
2022 His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein accompanied by HRH. Prince Ghazi Bin Mohammad attended state funeral of late Former PM. ABE Shinzo. (September 27th)
RH. Princess Rayah Bint Al-Hussein (Nov.)

2023  Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman SAFADI (March)

2023  Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Zeina TOUKAN (March)

2023  HM King Abdullah II (April)

2023  HM Queen Rania Al Abdullah (April)

2023  HRH Crown Prince Al Hussein (April)

2023  HRH Prince Hashem bin Abdullah (April)

2023  HRH Princess Jalilah Bint Ali (April)

2023  Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman SAFADI (April)

2023  Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Zeina TOUKAN (April)

Official Visits: From Japan to Jordan

1976 TIH Crown Prince and Princess
1980 TIH Prince and Princess Mikasa
1985 Foreign Minister Shintaro Abe
1987 Foreign Minister Tadashi Kuranari
1988 Foreign Minister Sosuke Uno
1990 Foreign Minister Taro Nakayama (Aug.)
Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu (Oct.)
1994 Foreign Minister Koji Kakizawa (May)
1995 TIH Crown Prince and Princess (Jan.)
Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama (Sep.)
1996 TIH Prince and Princess Takamado (Jun.)
Foreign Minister Yukihiko Ikeda (Aug.)
1999 Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura (Jan.)
TIH Crown Prince and Princess (Feb.)
Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi (Feb.)
2005 HIH Princess Takamado (Jun.)
2006 Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi (Jul.)
2007 Foreign Minister Taro Aso (Aug.)
2012 Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba (May)
2013 Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida (Jul.)
2015 Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (Jan.)
State Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Yasuhide Nakayama (Jan.)
2016 Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission, Taro Kono (Jul.)
State Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Kentaro Sonoura (Sep.)
2017 Foreign Minister Taro Kono (Sep.)
Foreign Minister Taro Kono (Dec.)
2018 Foreign Minister Taro Kono (Apr.)
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (May.)
Foreign State Minister Masahisa Sato (Jul.)
2019 State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. SUZUKI Keisuke visited Jordan, he held meetings with H.E. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Mr. Ayman Safadi, and H.E. Minister of Planning and International Cooperation. Dr. Wissam Rabadi. (Dec)
H.E. Minister of Defense KONO Taro visited Amman to exchange views on bilateral affairs. Minister Kono met with His Majesty King Abdullah II, and with H.E. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Mr. Ayman Safadi, and Lieutenant General Yousef Huneiti, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces. (Dec)
2021 Foreign Minister MOTEGI Toshimitsu visited Jordan during which the Second Japan-Jordan Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue was held with Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi. (Aug)

2023   Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Mr. NISHIMURA Yasutoshi (January)

2023   HIH Princess TAKAMADO (June – CP Wedding)

2023   HIH Tsuguko of TAKAMADO (June – CP Wedding)

2023   Minister for Digital Transformation KONO Taro (July)

The Trade Balance

The trade balance is tilted in favor of Japan, the following is the volume of Jordanian imports and exports to and from Japan during the years (2015-2020) and the first 3 months of 2021:

Value (Million JOD)

Trade Exchange  Import   Export       Year
435.3 419.2 16.1 2015
464.4 449.3 16.1 2016
423.1 404.7 18.4 2017
313.8 290.3 23.5 2018
286.8 287.0 16.8 2019
250 234.4 15.6 2020
233.2 256.1 22.9 2021
155.9 206.6 50.7 Jan-Oct 2022

* Major Jordanian Exports to Japan: (Fertilizers, Knitted cloth products, Copper and related products, alongside Cement and limy materials)

*Major Japanese Exports to Jordan: (Automobiles, Machinery, Organic and Chemical products, Photo and measuring devices, alongside Electronic devices).

Signed Agreements

Year Agreement
2018 Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement between the two countries
2016 (M.O.U) on Defense Cooperation and Exchange
2012 Agreement on Cooperation in Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy.
2009 Signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation on Nuclear Energy and Training between the Jordan AEA and the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry.
1997 Agreement on Mutual Exemption from visa fees
1995 Aviation Cooperation Agreement.
1985 Technical Assistance Agreement.
1954 (M.O.U) for the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Cultural Cooperation

Jordan and Japan are working closely to enhance cultural cooperation, which enhances people to people engagements, and build closer ties between our communities, a major example of this cooperation is the (Host Town Initiative), which is a part of Japan’s preparations for hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Prime Minister Abe launched this initiative which aims at promoting cultural and economic exchange between Japanese local communities and visiting countries participating in games.

The Japanese city of Noshiro has been chosen as Jordan’s “Host Town” last August, and two visits were arranged for the Jordanian Karate and Taekwondo teams to the city in September 2019.

Joint Friendship Committees

In Jordan:
The Jordanian-Asia Oceania Parliamentary Association which covers Japan, and includes 20 members with MP. Dr. Abdel Rahim Falah Al-Maaia acting as Chairman of the Association.

In Japan:
The Parliamentary Friendship Committee has twenty-three members and is chaired by The Minister of Reconstruction, Mr. Tanaka Kazunori. The Japan-Jordan Friendship Committee (representing the private sector) is chaired by the former General Manager of Mitsubishi, Hon. Sasaki Mikio.

Successive Ambassadors of Jordan to Japan

2019-Present Lina Annab
2009-2018     Demiye Haddad
2000-2008  Samir Naouri
1990-2000  Farouk Kasrawi
1985-1990   Khalid Madadha
1983-1985    Saad Al-Bataineh
1980-1983   Zuhair Al-Mufti
1974-1980    Amer Shammout