President Tokayev visits Japan, meets Emperor Naruhito

Japan inspires the people of Kazakhstan with its discipline and resilience, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated during a meeting with Emperor Naruhito of Japan, the Akorda press service reported.

During the meeting, Tokayev expressed his appreciation for Japan’s hospitality. The sides discussed issues of bilateral cooperation and the international agenda.

In turn, Emperor Naruhito expressed confidence that this visit would be a significant event in the history of Kazakhstan-Japan relations, enhancing them to a completely new level.

The program of Tokayev’s visit to Japan includes not only scheduled meetings but also a large-scale business component. The signing of commercial agreements worth over $3.7 billion is planned.

More than 40 agreements in the areas of energy, renewable energy sources, digitalization and transport are planned for signing — on the Japanese side, Marubeni, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Hitachi Energy and others — and on the Kazakhstani side, national companies Samruk-Kazyna, Kazatomprom and Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ).

According to Kazakhstan’s State Revenue Committee, trade turnover between the two countries totaled $1.8 billion in 2024 — Kazakhstan’s exports to Japan totaled $506 million, while imports reached $1.3 billion.

Metals and metal products — primarily ferroalloys — account for more than 50% of Kazakhstan’s exports. Other significant exports include oil, coal and other solid fuels, chemical industry products and goods of plant origin. The main imports from Japan are passenger cars, trucks and special equipment such as bulldozers and graders, as well as medical devices and tires.