Japan’s Ambassador presents credentials to King Tupou VI

Ambassador Munenaga, accompanied by his spouse, Madam Yoshiko Munenaga was escorted to the occasion at the Royal Palace by officials of Tonga’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Following the presentation of credentials, they had a privilege to have an audience with King Tupou VI.

“I conveyed the official messages from His Majesty the Emperor Naruhito of Japan to His Majesty King Tupou VI, and also received some intimate words for His Majesty the Emperor and the people of Japan from His Majesty King Tupou VI,” stated Ambassador Munenaga.

 “The Tongan Royal family and the Japanese Imperial family have established a warm friendship over the years, and as the only remaining Royal family in the South Pacific, the Japanese Imperial family greatly values Their friendship. I realized that the close relationship between Tonga and Japan has been nurtured through mutual visits between Them and it has not changed even under the Covid-19 pandemic.”

“We still cannot see any sign that the situation is settling down, and this difficult time is still expected to remain unchanged. However, Tonga has already started vaccination and I strongly believe that the situation is going to improve in the future. I and the Embassy of Japan would like to consider what we can do and what we have to do under the pandemic, taking the future after the pandemic into account.”

The ambassador and his spouse arrived in Nuku’alofa in November 2020 as the fifth resident Ambassador of Japan to Tonga, succeeding the role of Tetsuya Ishii.

Before his appointment to the Kingdom of Tonga, Ambassador Munenaga has served an extensive career of over forty years in the Ministry of Finance of the Government of Japan in several positions as Budget Examiner, Director of Government Financial Institutions Division, and Commissioner of Yokohama Customs. He served also as the Director General of Budget and Personnel Department for Asian Development Bank.

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