Ambassador HIGUCHI Visits Okinawa Prefecture
2026/10/16
JICA Okinawa Office
Okinawa Brown Sugar Cooperative Association
Located in the southern part of Japan, Okinawa Prefecture comprises 47 inhabited islands and shares many geographical characteristics with Solomon Islands, including its dispersed archipelagic nature and communities spread across numerous islands. Blessed with a subtropical climate, pristine beaches, and crystal-clear waters, Okinawa is also one of Japan's leading tourist destinations.
Given these geographical characteristics, Okinawa Prefecture faces many of the same challenges as Solomon Islands, including high transportation costs associated with agriculture, fisheries, and other economic activities, as well as the impacts of typhoons (cyclones).
Beyond these shared challenges, the people of Okinawa Prefecture have developed close ties with Solomon Islands over many decades through skipjack and tuna fishing and various other fields of work.
While Solomon Islands and Okinawa Prefecture share many longstanding ties and connections, no formal sister-city or sister-prefecture relationship has yet been established. With a view to further strengthening relations between Solomon Islands and Okinawa Prefecture, Ambassador HIGUCHI visited Naha-city on 15th and 16th October. During his visit, he exchanged views not only with officials of the Okinawa Prefectural Government, but also with stakeholders involved in the production, distribution, marketing, and sale of Kokuto (Okinawan brown sugar), an industry that has been nurtured as one of Okinawa's key sectors. He also met with representatives of the JICA Okinawa Office and Ambassador KIYA, Ambassador in charge of Okinawa Affairs.
Through these exchanges, Ambassador HIGUCHI gained valuable insights into promoting agricultural and processed products from Solomon Islands and enhancing the value generated within the country through their production, processing, and export. Going forward, he hopes to make use of these ideas and lessons learned to contribute to the further development of local industries in Solomon Islands.
Given these geographical characteristics, Okinawa Prefecture faces many of the same challenges as Solomon Islands, including high transportation costs associated with agriculture, fisheries, and other economic activities, as well as the impacts of typhoons (cyclones).
Beyond these shared challenges, the people of Okinawa Prefecture have developed close ties with Solomon Islands over many decades through skipjack and tuna fishing and various other fields of work.
While Solomon Islands and Okinawa Prefecture share many longstanding ties and connections, no formal sister-city or sister-prefecture relationship has yet been established. With a view to further strengthening relations between Solomon Islands and Okinawa Prefecture, Ambassador HIGUCHI visited Naha-city on 15th and 16th October. During his visit, he exchanged views not only with officials of the Okinawa Prefectural Government, but also with stakeholders involved in the production, distribution, marketing, and sale of Kokuto (Okinawan brown sugar), an industry that has been nurtured as one of Okinawa's key sectors. He also met with representatives of the JICA Okinawa Office and Ambassador KIYA, Ambassador in charge of Okinawa Affairs.
Through these exchanges, Ambassador HIGUCHI gained valuable insights into promoting agricultural and processed products from Solomon Islands and enhancing the value generated within the country through their production, processing, and export. Going forward, he hopes to make use of these ideas and lessons learned to contribute to the further development of local industries in Solomon Islands.
