AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL / TICAD 9 to Focus on Cooperative Industrial, Economic Development of Africa
The first five conferences were held at five-year intervals, but that was shortened to three years after 2013. Since then, TICAD has also alternated between being held at Japanese and African venues.
Based on the key idea of cocreation with African nations, issues facing Africa such as industrial development, health care and disaster prevention were expected to be discussed at the TICAD 9 through Friday.
The Japanese government is considering announcing an initiative to support economic growth by leveraging Japan's advanced AI and digital technologies. It also plans to announce the Indian Ocean and Africa economic zone initiative that will help develop a logistics network covering Africa and the Indian Ocean as a single economic zone.
Participants also were expected to exchange views on measures for dealing with potential 'debt traps,' in which African nations' debt levels could balloon due to massive loans extended by China, and on the impact on the African economy of the tariff measures of the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Africa is rich in natural resources such as crude oil, copper and rare metals, and the economy is projected to grow due to its increasing population.
Japan recognizes 54 African countries as sovereign states, making them important partners in forming major blocs at international forums, including the United Nations.
During the Cold War era, the United States and Russia sought to draw African countries into their respective camps. Since the end of that period, the TICAD has played a leading role in the development of Africa.
In its early stages, TICAD provided nations with assistance in the form of grant aid in areas such as education and health. However, it later began to put more emphasis on investment, including with private funds, as a way to supplement the limited public money available for assistance from the Japanese government and to link African economic growth to the revitalization of Japanese companies.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Nikkei Asia
2 hours ago
- Nikkei Asia
Japan automakers start to pass on Trump tariff costs to US consumers
Passenger cars waiting to be shipped to North America. Japanese automakers until recently absorbed the tariffs to keep U.S. retail prices steady. (Photo by Wataru Ito) SHUNSUKE USHIGOME August 21, 2025 00:42 JST TOKYO -- Japanese automakers are passing some of the expense of U.S. tariffs through to American car buyers, a change from their strategy of absorbing the impact, new data shows.
Yomiuri Shimbun
3 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
South Korea President Hints at Prizing Japan Over Tradition, Ahead of Visits to Japan, United States
SEOUL — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung implied that his decision to visit Japan before the United States shows a willingness to buck convention and reflects a practical diplomacy that prioritizes national interests. Lee hinted at this stance during an interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun on Tuesday. Lee is scheduled to visit Japan on Saturday and Sunday and then travel to the United States for a three-day visit from Sunday. It is unusual for a South Korean president to visit Japan before the United States, a key ally. In their first face-to-face meeting on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit meeting in June, Lee and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba agreed to a policy of steadily improving their countries' ties through close communication, including reciprocal visits of their heads of government. Lee explained that he decided to visit Japan before the United States to 'put into practice' what he and Ishiba agreed on during the June meeting. Quoting a Korean proverb that means, 'Out of sight, out of mind,' Lee stressed the significance of reciprocal visits. 'The more often we see each other, the closer we become and the more trust we can build,' he said. 'I hope the Japanese prime minister will also visit South Korea when his schedule allows, so that we can strengthen our substantive cooperation through frequent exchanges,' he added. Lee also said he intended to exchange views with Ishiba on 'areas of mutual benefit, such as economic and sociocultural issues, private-sector exchanges, the environment and security.' He added that trilateral cooperation among Japan, the United States and South Korea, along with the U.S.-South Korea alliance, 'will be a fundamental axis in the economic and security fields,' indicating he will link his visit to Japan and to the United States to trilateral cooperation.
Japan Times
5 hours ago
- Japan Times
Government panel suggests Hepburn style romanization
A government advisory panel on Wednesday suggested revisions to the country's system for romanizing the Japanese language based on the currently widely used Hepburn style. The Council for Cultural Affairs included the suggestion in an advisory report submitted to culture minister Toshiko Abe the same day. In 1954, the government released a Cabinet notice setting out the standard for the romanization system known as kunrei-shiki, in which the Japanese kana syllabary pronunciation of "chi" is spelled as "ti," and "fu" as "hu." Even so, the Hepburn style, in which "chi" and "fu" are used, has become more common in society. Referring to the submitted report, the government is expected to revise the Cabinet notice as early as within the current fiscal year, which ends next March, for the first time in some 70 years. It will gradually apply changes to textbooks and other materials. The advisory council began considering a unified notation in 2022, to prevent confusion amid the two different romanization styles being used. In May 2024, then culture minister Masahito Moriyama consulted with the council on how the notation should be. The report adopted descriptions such as "shi", "ji" and "tsu" in accordance with the Hepburn style. In the case of a term that includes a tight sound, such as the Japanese word for an iron plate, "teppan", doubled consonants are used. A term with a prolonged sound, such as the Japanese word for mother, "kaasan," can be written with the macron symbol or by using doubled vowel characters. Based on the principles suggested in the report, Japan's capital city of Tokyo will be written "Toukyou." Still, it specified that common notations, such as "Tokyo," do not require immediate changes. Regarding personal and organizational names, the report noted that the notation should respect the wishes of those affected.
