Japan and Seychelles: Island Nations Committed to Peace and the Ocean
2026/7/20
The following message from Ambassador Sakuta was published in the "Seychelles Nation" and "TODAY in Seychelles" newspapers on 20th July 2026.
Since last month, Seychelles’ Golden Jubilee celebrations have unfolded on a grand and truly mesmerising scale. In Victoria, streets have been adorned with vibrant displays of the national flag, the renovated Clock Tower, and illuminations at night. The celebration ceremony at Stad Linite on the evening of 28 June featured spectacular performances, including parades, parachute descents, fireworks, and a drone light show. At the invitation of the Office of the President, the Embassy of Japan was delighted to participate in the State House reception on 29 June, showcasing Japanese cuisine and sake for many guests and joining Seychelles in celebrating the 50th anniversary of our diplomatic relations. Japan and Seychelles share a longstanding history of cultural exchange and friendship, as illustrated in our past articles available on the Embassy’s website.
Today, July 20, is Marine Day (Umi no Hi), a Japanese national holiday. It is typically observed on the third Monday in July and is dedicated to expressing gratitude for the ocean’s bounty and celebrating Japan’s identity and prosperity as a maritime nation.
Seychelles is located in the Western Indian Ocean, a vital international shipping lane and global transport hub. Its vast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covers 1,366,000 km²―one-third of Japan’s EEZ. Around 10% of the yellowfin and bigeye tuna imported into Japan comes from Seychelles. It is therefore critical to strengthen maritime security in the region.
Japan’s diplomacy is underpinned by Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) which marked its 10th anniversary in 2026. The vision aims to foster regional and global peace and prosperity, anchored in shared values such as the rule of law and democracy, with a focus on connectivity across the Indo-Pacific. In May 2026, Japanese Prime Minister TAKAICHI Sanae announced the updated FOIP. This highlights the importance of enhancing resilience and capability to have freedom for countries to decide for themselves amid an increasingly challenging international environment.
Strategically located in the Indian Ocean and sharing fundamental values with Japan, Seychelles is an important partner in realizing FOIP. In this regard, Japan and Seychelles have deepened cooperation in a range of areas, including maritime security. A recent example is the construction of the Marine Police Headquarters in Perseverance, which aims to enhance Seychelles’ maritime law enforcement capabilities focusing on its own will.
Through grant assistance in partnership with UNODC, Japan has supported maritime security in Seychelles and across the Indian Ocean region through implementation of Intelligence Analyst Training Course and workshops for Women Maritime Law Enforcement Officers at the UNODC office. In recent years, bilateral defense cooperation has also been strengthened through goodwill exercises during port calls by Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force vessels.
As both island nations with EEZs, Japan and Seychelles share challenges, including fisheries management, ocean conservation, and building resilience to disasters exacerbated by climate change. In this regard, Japan provided grant assistance to Seychelles by implementing projects including construction of a fishing port in the Providence district, installation of ice-making facilities at the Bel Ombre fishing port, and Study for Coastal Erosion and Flood Control Management. In partnership with FAO, Japan has supported an initiative focused on collecting discarded fishing nets and transforming them into new fishing nets using advanced recycling technology.
On June 3–4, 2026, the Island States Ocean Summit was held in Tokyo, hosted by the Nippon Foundation and co-hosted by Japan’s MOFA and UNESCO’s IOC. Representing Seychelles, H.E. Mr. Wallace Cosgrow, Principal Minister and Minister for Fisheries, Agriculture and Blue Economy attended the Summit. As a nation nurtured by the sea, Japan will continue to be strongly committed to international cooperation in the maritime field and to climate change measures.
Japan’s support has been tailored to partners’ genuine needs, development cooperation and capacity building, and the SDGs. More than 400 Seychellois have participated in JICA training programmes, and Japanese technology and expertise have greatly contributed to Seychelles’ development. The total amount of Japan’s assistance to Seychelles reaches approximately SCR 800 million in present value terms.
In Japan, August is a significant month for peace, marked by solemn memorial ceremonies and a collective commitment to non-proliferation and global peace. For over 80 years since the end of World War II, Japan has consistently pursued a path as a peace-loving nation, contributing to peace, stability, and prosperity of the international community. As the only country to have suffered atomic bombings, and drawing on lessons of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan has led international discussions on disarmament and non-proliferation in pursuit of a world without nuclear weapons.
Japan’s security policy places importance on the UN Charter and international law, adheres to an exclusively national defense-oriented policy, and limits exercise of the right of collective self-defense under domestic law. Japan needs to strengthen its defense capabilities in line with Three Strategic Documents; this is in response to the most severe and complex security environment of the post-war era that Japan faces, and is not directed at any specific country.
There are countries in the international community that have continued to increase their military capabilities in a non-transparent manner over many years and intensify unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion. Japan opposes such moves and, for peace, security, and prosperity of the international community, places emphasis on maintaining and strengthening an international order based on fundamental values such as freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. Japan will promote diplomacy that leads to reconciliation and cooperation, working together with Seychelles and other countries.
The world is currently undergoing one of the largest structural changes since the postwar period; while free and open international order based on the rule of law is being challenged, the role of the Global South is growing. Japan and Seychelles are both peace-loving island nations surrounded by vast oceans. Japan is committed to working with Seychelles to strengthen maritime security and promote global peace and stability.
20th July 2026
SAKUTA, Makoto
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Seychelles
(A View From Dans Gallas Trail)
Since last month, Seychelles’ Golden Jubilee celebrations have unfolded on a grand and truly mesmerising scale. In Victoria, streets have been adorned with vibrant displays of the national flag, the renovated Clock Tower, and illuminations at night. The celebration ceremony at Stad Linite on the evening of 28 June featured spectacular performances, including parades, parachute descents, fireworks, and a drone light show. At the invitation of the Office of the President, the Embassy of Japan was delighted to participate in the State House reception on 29 June, showcasing Japanese cuisine and sake for many guests and joining Seychelles in celebrating the 50th anniversary of our diplomatic relations. Japan and Seychelles share a longstanding history of cultural exchange and friendship, as illustrated in our past articles available on the Embassy’s website.
Today, July 20, is Marine Day (Umi no Hi), a Japanese national holiday. It is typically observed on the third Monday in July and is dedicated to expressing gratitude for the ocean’s bounty and celebrating Japan’s identity and prosperity as a maritime nation.
Seychelles is located in the Western Indian Ocean, a vital international shipping lane and global transport hub. Its vast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covers 1,366,000 km²―one-third of Japan’s EEZ. Around 10% of the yellowfin and bigeye tuna imported into Japan comes from Seychelles. It is therefore critical to strengthen maritime security in the region.
Japan’s diplomacy is underpinned by Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) which marked its 10th anniversary in 2026. The vision aims to foster regional and global peace and prosperity, anchored in shared values such as the rule of law and democracy, with a focus on connectivity across the Indo-Pacific. In May 2026, Japanese Prime Minister TAKAICHI Sanae announced the updated FOIP. This highlights the importance of enhancing resilience and capability to have freedom for countries to decide for themselves amid an increasingly challenging international environment.
Strategically located in the Indian Ocean and sharing fundamental values with Japan, Seychelles is an important partner in realizing FOIP. In this regard, Japan and Seychelles have deepened cooperation in a range of areas, including maritime security. A recent example is the construction of the Marine Police Headquarters in Perseverance, which aims to enhance Seychelles’ maritime law enforcement capabilities focusing on its own will.
Through grant assistance in partnership with UNODC, Japan has supported maritime security in Seychelles and across the Indian Ocean region through implementation of Intelligence Analyst Training Course and workshops for Women Maritime Law Enforcement Officers at the UNODC office. In recent years, bilateral defense cooperation has also been strengthened through goodwill exercises during port calls by Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force vessels.
As both island nations with EEZs, Japan and Seychelles share challenges, including fisheries management, ocean conservation, and building resilience to disasters exacerbated by climate change. In this regard, Japan provided grant assistance to Seychelles by implementing projects including construction of a fishing port in the Providence district, installation of ice-making facilities at the Bel Ombre fishing port, and Study for Coastal Erosion and Flood Control Management. In partnership with FAO, Japan has supported an initiative focused on collecting discarded fishing nets and transforming them into new fishing nets using advanced recycling technology.
On June 3–4, 2026, the Island States Ocean Summit was held in Tokyo, hosted by the Nippon Foundation and co-hosted by Japan’s MOFA and UNESCO’s IOC. Representing Seychelles, H.E. Mr. Wallace Cosgrow, Principal Minister and Minister for Fisheries, Agriculture and Blue Economy attended the Summit. As a nation nurtured by the sea, Japan will continue to be strongly committed to international cooperation in the maritime field and to climate change measures.
Japan’s support has been tailored to partners’ genuine needs, development cooperation and capacity building, and the SDGs. More than 400 Seychellois have participated in JICA training programmes, and Japanese technology and expertise have greatly contributed to Seychelles’ development. The total amount of Japan’s assistance to Seychelles reaches approximately SCR 800 million in present value terms.
In Japan, August is a significant month for peace, marked by solemn memorial ceremonies and a collective commitment to non-proliferation and global peace. For over 80 years since the end of World War II, Japan has consistently pursued a path as a peace-loving nation, contributing to peace, stability, and prosperity of the international community. As the only country to have suffered atomic bombings, and drawing on lessons of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan has led international discussions on disarmament and non-proliferation in pursuit of a world without nuclear weapons.
Japan’s security policy places importance on the UN Charter and international law, adheres to an exclusively national defense-oriented policy, and limits exercise of the right of collective self-defense under domestic law. Japan needs to strengthen its defense capabilities in line with Three Strategic Documents; this is in response to the most severe and complex security environment of the post-war era that Japan faces, and is not directed at any specific country.
There are countries in the international community that have continued to increase their military capabilities in a non-transparent manner over many years and intensify unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion. Japan opposes such moves and, for peace, security, and prosperity of the international community, places emphasis on maintaining and strengthening an international order based on fundamental values such as freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. Japan will promote diplomacy that leads to reconciliation and cooperation, working together with Seychelles and other countries.
The world is currently undergoing one of the largest structural changes since the postwar period; while free and open international order based on the rule of law is being challenged, the role of the Global South is growing. Japan and Seychelles are both peace-loving island nations surrounded by vast oceans. Japan is committed to working with Seychelles to strengthen maritime security and promote global peace and stability.
20th July 2026
SAKUTA, Makoto
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Seychelles
(A View From Dans Gallas Trail)