Uruguay shines at Expo Osaka and strengthens ties with Japan on an official and business mission

Uruguay traveled to Japan with a clear objective: to reinforce its image as a reliable, innovative, and open partner. Between June 16 and 19, a public-private delegation led by the Minister of Livestock, Agriculture, and Fisheries, Alfredo Fratti, carried out a busy schedule of activities in Osaka and Tokyo, combining political diplomacy, trade promotion, and living culture.

The highlight was the celebration of Uruguay's National Day at Expo 2025 Osaka on June 17. At the official ceremony, Minister Fratti reaffirmed the country's commitment to international cooperation and sustainable development. The event was attended by high-level Japanese officials, including the Deputy Minister of State for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Hiroyoshi Sasagawa, the Commissioner General of the Expo, Koji Haneda, the member of the Parliamentary Friendship League (Member of the House of Representatives), Midori Matsushima, the government representative, Koji Haneda, the secretary general of the Expo Association, Hiroyuki Ishige, the vice governor of Osaka Prefecture, Shigeki Watanabe, and the deputy mayor of Osaka City, Takeichi Nishiyama.

The event included a tea ceremony with Ambassador Victoria Francolino and an artistic performance that celebrated Uruguayan music. Hugo Fattoruso and Albana Barrocas participated, along with the candombe group C1080 with Mathías Silva, Wellington Silva, and Guillermo Díaz Silva, who took the audience on a journey through the history of candombe, milonga, and tango in Uruguay. The special participation of Japanese percussionist Tomohiro Yahiro was particularly appreciated by the audience. There were highlights such as Fattoruso's piano performance of “La Cumparsita” and the drumming with dancers Liz Aguirre and Naomi Kronberg, which evoked an authentic Llamada and thrilled the audience at the ND Hall of Expo Osaka.

The day in Osaka was not only cultural. It included a formal lunch with local authorities, official visits to the Japanese and Uruguayan pavilions, and a gastronomic promotion cocktail at the Grand Prince Hotel, where national meats and wines were the stars. Products such as beef tongue—recently approved for the Japanese market—were presented as examples of the country's sustainable and traceable agro-export model.

But the mission did not end in Osaka. The delegation traveled to Tokyo to further the trade and cooperation agenda. There were meetings with JETRO Vice President Mio Kawada and with the IDB to consolidate financing and strategic projects. A business seminar was held at JETRO Tokyo to present Uruguay as an investment and logistics destination, with presentations by Minister Fratti, the deputy director of Uruguay XXI, Martín Mercado, the general manager of INALOG, Emilio Rivero, and the national director of Rail Transport at the Ministry of Transport and Public Works, Waverley Tejera. JICA officials and representatives of the Japanese private sector also participated.

The event closed with an official reception at the ANA Intercontinental Hotel, with speeches by the ambassador and the minister, consolidating human and diplomatic ties.

With this mission, Uruguay showed its best side: a democratic, stable country committed to clean production, traceability, and innovation. It also sent a clear message: it is ready to partner with Japan in a long-term relationship that combines trade, investment, and culture.