Greetings from Ambassador Takuya SASAYAMA
2024/5/30
Sunrise as from the official residence, Uganda
Kampala city lined with buildings
I have been appointed as the Ambassador of Japan to Uganda and arrived in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda in March 2024. Credentials have been submitted to President Museveni on 28 May, and now I am delighted to announce that I have officially commenced my duty in Uganda.
I once worked at the Embassy of Japan in Egypt, which is at the mouth of the Nile River, in the 1990s. This time, the appointment presents the opportunity for me to work on the opposite side of the river in Uganda, one of the beginnings of the Nile.
Kampala is located near the equator; hence the sun rises before 7 a.m. throughout the year. The sunrise illuminates the morning sky beautifully. People start moving energetically early in the morning. To pass through the business district by car, you must cross a sea of boda bodas (the name is said to derive from ”border-border” as the motorcycle taxis were commonly used to cross Uganda and neighbouring countries’ borders). You must carefully push your way through it without colliding into it. Just one step out of the city, you will find the rich water sources of the Lake Victoria and the River Nile. The warm climate and rich water resources make agriculture thrive. Most of the country is on plateaus, so maximum temperatures rarely exceed 30 degrees Celsius. Morning and evening temperatures will usually be around 20 degrees. Such moderate climate may be what makes the Ugandans speak so calmly and slowly.
It has been over two months since I was appointed to the Ambassador in Uganda, but I have already had many encounters with Japanese entrepreneurs, Ugandans who are interested in Japan, and people from international organizations such as the United Nations, and NGOs who are tackling various development needs in Uganda.
It seems that the information about Africa does not reach many people living in Japan, including myself. Also, I notice that information about Japan is limited for Ugandans. Thus, I would like to convey the true image of Africa and Uganda to the people of Japan, and at the same time, I would like to deliver the value of “Japan” to as many Ugandans as possible.
I once worked at the Embassy of Japan in Egypt, which is at the mouth of the Nile River, in the 1990s. This time, the appointment presents the opportunity for me to work on the opposite side of the river in Uganda, one of the beginnings of the Nile.
Kampala is located near the equator; hence the sun rises before 7 a.m. throughout the year. The sunrise illuminates the morning sky beautifully. People start moving energetically early in the morning. To pass through the business district by car, you must cross a sea of boda bodas (the name is said to derive from ”border-border” as the motorcycle taxis were commonly used to cross Uganda and neighbouring countries’ borders). You must carefully push your way through it without colliding into it. Just one step out of the city, you will find the rich water sources of the Lake Victoria and the River Nile. The warm climate and rich water resources make agriculture thrive. Most of the country is on plateaus, so maximum temperatures rarely exceed 30 degrees Celsius. Morning and evening temperatures will usually be around 20 degrees. Such moderate climate may be what makes the Ugandans speak so calmly and slowly.
It has been over two months since I was appointed to the Ambassador in Uganda, but I have already had many encounters with Japanese entrepreneurs, Ugandans who are interested in Japan, and people from international organizations such as the United Nations, and NGOs who are tackling various development needs in Uganda.
It seems that the information about Africa does not reach many people living in Japan, including myself. Also, I notice that information about Japan is limited for Ugandans. Thus, I would like to convey the true image of Africa and Uganda to the people of Japan, and at the same time, I would like to deliver the value of “Japan” to as many Ugandans as possible.