President Michel Temer arrives in Japan this Monday (17)

President of the Republic Michel Temer arrived in Japan for an official working visit on Monday (17, 18 local time).

In Tokyo, the president will have an audience with Emperor Akihito and will also meet Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Also in the agenda are a meeting with Japanese business leaders and an event with representatives from Brazil's and Japan's private sector.

The visit follows up on the bilateral meeting between President Temer and Prime Minister Abe on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in Hangzhou, China (5 September), and is an indication the mutual priority both countries confer to intensifying their strategic partnership.

'Our countries have a rich history of joint initiatives, marked by traditional cooperation links and strong human bonds. This visit will provide an opportunity to renew Brazil's and Japan's interest in expanding our bilateral trade and investment flows by deepening our cooperation in science, technology and innovation, and also by establishing partnerships in new areas such as infrastructure, industry and renewable energy', reads a note by Itamaraty (Brazil's Foreign Ministry) regarding the visit.

Brazil and Japan already work together in joint projects in developing countries, both in Latin America and in Africa, and are both members of the G-4 (the group of countries – completed by India and Germany – that advocates for increasing the number of permanent seats at the UN Security Council). The two countries also share common views on global issues, such as sustainable development, climate change, and disarmament and non-proliferation.

Brazil-Japan trade totalled US$ 9.7 billion in 2015, with Japanese direct investment in Brazil reaching US$ 2.8 billion in the same period.