Japan-Ghana Relations: Review

Diplomatic Relations: 6 March, 1957 (Date of the recognition of the State) Japanese Nationals: Number of Japanese nationals residing in the Republic of Ghana: 253 (as of Oct. 1998) Trade with Japan (1998): Exports: 9,661 million yen (cacao, marine products such as squid and octopus, diamond, manganese, etc) Imports: 10,484 million yen (automobiles, steel, telephone, etc) Direct Investment from Japan (cumulative total fiscal 1951-1998): 797 million yen Japan's Economic Cooperation: List of Grant Aid - Exchange of Notes in Fiscal Year 2002 Loans: 119,100 million yen Grants: 53,388 million yen Technical cooperation: 20,934 million yen VIP Visits From Japan to the Republic of Ghana May 1993 H.I.H. Prince & Princess TAKAMADO May 1999 Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister (Former Prime Minister), H.E. Mr. Ryutaro HASHIMOTO From the Republic of Ghana to Japan: Oct. 1993 President, H.E. FLT. LT. Jerry John RAWLINGS (TICAD) Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, H.E. Dr. Kwesi BOTCHWEY Feb. 1994 Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, H.E. Dr. Kwesi BOTCHWEY Dec. 1997 President, H.E. FLT. LT. Jerry John RAWLINGS Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mr. James Victor GBEHO Regional Minister / Eastern Region, H.E. Ms. Patience ADOW Oct. 1998 President, H.E. FLT. LT. Jerry John RAWLINGS (TICAD II) Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mr. James Victor GBEHO Jul. 1999 Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mr. Ekwow SPIO-GARBRAH Oct. 2002 President, H.E. Mr. John Agyekum Kufuor Cultural Exchanges 1996 Performance of Jazz Style Japanese traditional drum every year - Japanese speech contest - Judo competition - Japan film festival Cultural Grant (fiscal 1975-1999) 257.9 million yen (audiovisual equipment, equipment for TV program production, etc) Recent Trends The relationship between Japan and the Republic of Ghana started in 1927, when Dr. Hideyo Noguchi visited Ghana (then Gold Coast) for research on yellow fever. Since then, the two countries have maintained a good relationship under the President of Ghana who is pro-Japanese and also people of Ghana, and no particular diplomatic issue exists between two countries. The Government of Japan regards Ghana as one of the most important countries in terms of Japan's aid policy toward Africa. Ghana is the biggest recipient country in Sub-Sahara-Africa with regard to economic cooperation from Japan (1997), and Japan has been the leading donor country for the Republic of Ghana since 1988. As for exchanges at university level, there were 76 students, include 47 Monbusho-scholarship students, who came to Japan in 1998. This is the largest number in Sub-Sahara-Africa.