(source : ANI) ( Photo Credit : ani)
Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture Governor Yasutomo Suzuki stands out as a key leader in building multicultural societies through international ties. From his early days as mayor of Hamamatsu City—home to Suzuki Motor’s headquarters—he’s leveraged the company’s global network to strengthen bonds abroad, even though he has no family connection to the founding Suzuki clan.
Suzuki believes that when national diplomacy hits roadblocks, local efforts between cities and regions can step in to create welcoming, diverse communities. “We’ve seen real success with Zhejiang Province in China and Brazil,” he explains. Back in 1990, Japan opened its doors to unlimited immigrants from Brazil and Peru who had Japanese ancestry, drawing many to Hamamatsu for jobs in the auto industry and beyond.
Suzuki took bold action himself, urging Brazilian President Lula to open a consulate in Hamamatsu. It worked, boosting those connections. His core stance? Foreigners living in Japan deserve the same treatment as locals. “It takes time, but through education, a true symbiosis society grows,” he says. In Hamamatsu schools, Japanese kids and international students learn side by side, picking up global perspectives naturally.
He pushes back hard against calls to exclude immigrants. “Check crime stats in Japan’s 20 major cities—the rates are dropping, not rising,” Suzuki notes. In Hamamatsu, many families from abroad have put down roots, living stable lives as full community members.
Suzuki criticizes Japan’s national government for treating foreigners mainly as cheap labor. Instead, he calls them true partners in creating harmonious, multicultural Japan. He’s even pitched a new Social Unity Basic Law, which would set up a special Cabinet office to handle immigration and view newcomers as equals in society building.
Looking ahead, Suzuki wants to deepen Japan-India relations. He proposes regular meetings between Japanese prefectural governors and Indian state ministers to build a strong network. Hamamatsu’s ties to Suzuki Motor, which entered India in the 1980s, provide the perfect base. Shizuoka sealed a friendship pact with Gujarat State, where Maruti Suzuki runs its key factory.
These links fuel practical steps: Shizuoka companies recruit skilled Indian workers, startups from both regions team up, Gujarat University sends business interns, and Indian economic delegations visit regularly. This India-Japan collaboration promises to grow fast.
Globally, Suzuki connects Shizuoka to big networks like UCLG, uniting over 1,000 cities worldwide, and ICC, a group of more than 170 cities promoting growth through cultural diversity and multiculturalism.
Under Suzuki’s guidance, backed by his long political track record and industrial strengths, Shizuoka marches toward a vibrant, inclusive future as a hub for international symbiosis in Japan.
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