Shizuoka Governor Yasutomo Suzuki leads path toward global symbiosis

His political career began as the Mayor of Hamamatsu City, which hosts the headquarters of Suzuki Motor.

Governor Suzuki does not belong to the founding family of Suzuki Motor, but he has advanced international relations by utilising the company's global reach and resources.

He emphasised, "If diplomacy between countries faces difficulties, diplomacy between cities or states can contribute to building a multicultural symbiosis society. We have had great success in our relations with Zhejiang in China and with Brazil. In 1990, the Japanese Government decided to accept immigrants from Brazil and Peru without restriction if they had Japanese ancestry".

"Many foreigners came to Hamamatsu City to work in the automobile industry and other sectors. I personally appealed to Brazilian President Lula to establish a consulate in Hamamatsu, and it was realised," said Shizuoka Governor Yasutomo Suzuki.

His policy remains consistent: "When foreigners live in Japan, they are no different from Japanese. It takes time, but a symbiosis society matures in Hamamatsu through children's education. In classrooms, Japanese pupils and foreign children learn together. In this way, Japanese children naturally absorb international values."

Responding to radical voices that call for excluding foreigners, he stated, "Look at crime trends in Japan's 20 representative cities. The crime rate has not increased; in fact, it is decreasing. In Hamamatsu City, many foreigners have settled with their families and are leading stable lives as citizens."

Criticising the Japanese Government's stance, Governor Suzuki asserted, "Never view foreigners as mere labour power. They are partners in building a symbiosis society."

He has proposed a "Social Unity Basic Law" to the government, stating, "A special division should be created in the Cabinet to treat foreigners as partners in a symbiosis society. This division should also oversee the entry of foreigners into Japan."

Governor Suzuki has also proposed establishing a meeting of Japanese prefectural governors focused on relations with India. He envisions face-to-face meetings between Indian state ministers and Japanese prefectural governors as an up-and-coming network. His proposal is expected to accelerate such exchanges.

Explaining the historical background, he said, "Hamamatsu City in Shizuoka Prefecture is home to the headquarters of Suzuki Motor, which expanded to India in the 1980s. Taking advantage of this connection, Shizuoka Prefecture signed a Friendship Agreement with Gujarat State, where Maruti Suzuki has its main factory."

Based on this foundation, Shizuoka Prefecture is advancing a wide range of initiatives -- recruiting talented Indian professionals for Shizuoka-based companies, fostering collaboration between Indian and Shizuoka start-ups, accepting business interns from Gujarat University, and hosting economic and business delegations from India.

Governor Suzuki also highlighted the importance of connecting with global organisations such as UCLG (United Cities and Local Governments), which has participation from more than 1,000 cities, and ICC (Intercultural Cities), a multicultural symbiosis network of more than 170 cities aimed at developing urban growth through cultural diversity.

Under his leadership, Shizuoka is steadily advancing toward becoming a truly multicultural symbiosis region, driven by strong industrial ties and Governor Suzuki's global vision, supported by his extensive political experience. (ANI)