【Profile】Tech diplomat, researcher-scientist, SDG Global Leader Program (Kyoto),PhD Candidate at Kyoto Institute of Technology①What program brought you to Japan?In the summer of 2024, with the support of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), I came to Kyoto, Japan. I won a competition for the SDG Global Leader program, which involves working on projects that positively impact society and the environment.I have personal experience of using a wheelchair in the past, and since then, I’.....

【Profile】Director of Batumi National Botanical Garden――　Could you tell us about the Batumi Botanical Garden?The Batumi Botanical Garden is located about 9 kilometers from the city center of Batumi and spans an area of 112 hectares. It officially opened on November 3, 1912.Within the garden are nine phytogeographic (plant-geographic) sections and three parks, featuring approximately 1,800 different plant and flower species, 90 of which are native to the Caucasus region.The garden also plays an im.....

【Profile】Japanese Language lecturer at Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University――What inspired you to start learning Japanese?lasha san:I was inspired to start learning Japanese through the influence of my father, who always held Japan in high regard. I didn’t know much about Japan at the time, but his thoughts on the importance of the Japanese language sparked my interest.After graduating from school in Batumi, I enrolled at a university in Turkey to study Japanese. Back then, Japanese language .....

【Profile】Born in Georgia. Mainly lived abroad in Czechia, Russia, and Japan. Studied Japanese and English at Palacký University Olomouc in Czechia. Later completed a master's degree at Kibi International University in Okayama, Japan. After returning to Georgia, worked primarily in international companies.――　What was your motivation to start leaning Japanese?Rusdan san:The reason I wanted to learn Japanese actually came from my Czech language teacher. During my final year of high school, I was in.....

【Profile】Majored in Russian at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, completed a master's program at the University of Tokyo Graduate School. After working at embassies and JICA in former Soviet regions, currently residing in Georgia. Also engaged in Russian translation and interpretation.――　What led you to establish a connection with Georgia?Takaraga san:I have always loved literature and mainly studied Russian literature at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. Through my studies, I often had th.....

【Profile】 Former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Georgia from March 2009 to September 2012. Afterward, he also served as an ambassador in Kazakhstan before retiring.What was your impression when you first visited Georgia? Masayoshi Kamohara: Before being appointed as an ambassador, I visited Georgia once each from Tokyo and Moscow. The first time I visited was in 1985, during the Soviet era, and I thought it was a rich country. The markets had a variety of foods, the cli.....

【Profile】 Completed Japanese language education at a professional graduate school. After teaching Japanese at universities in the United States, China, and Japan, she was dispatched to Ilia State University from 2023 to 2025.What brought you to Georgia? And what was your first impression when you arrived? Risa Uchida: Before coming to Georgia, I was already working in Japanese language education. After teaching Japanese in the United States and China, I worked in Japanese language education at a.....

【Profile】Former Attaché at the Embassy of Japan in Georgia. Associate Professor at Waseda University Research Institute. Completed Doctorate at Osaka University Graduate School (Graduate School of International Public Policy)――Why did you choose Georgia (then called "Gruzia") as your mission place as a Attaché at the embassy of Japan?Uchida: I could have chosen up to my second or third preference for the Attaché  position in different countries, but I chose only Georgia. I had never been to Geor.....

【Profile】Japanese Language Instructor / Translator. Graduated from the Tbilisi Institute of Asia and Africa in 2007 with a degree in Oriental Philology. Studied Japanese language and culture, and has been teaching Japanese at Tbilisi State University since 2009. During her student years, she was captivated by Japanese literature, particularly the works of Junichiro Tanizaki and Yasunari Kawabata. The first book she translated was Yukio Mishima's "Confessions of a Mask," which was selected as a f.....