Japan in Austria | Japanese in Vienna | Bilateral Relations

Austria and Japan - Read the latest headlines about bilateral relations in the areas of economy, business, investment, diplomacy, culture and tourism

UNOOSA and Japan Foster Space Education with PNST Fellowship for Developing Countries

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), in partnership with the Government of Japan and the Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech), is offering a remarkable educational opportunity in the field of nano-satellite technologies.

November 28, 2023

Japanese Takeda Lays Foundation Stone for "Laboratory of the Future" in Vienna's Urban Lakeside Aspern

In a symbolic act, the foundation stone was laid for Takeda's "Laboratory of the Future" in Vienna's Seestadt Aspern. With an investment of around 120 million euros, the Japanese pharmaceutical giant represents the company's largest investment to date in Austria in a technically and ecologically optimized new building for biopharmaceutical research and development.

September 22, 2023

Austrian Security Policy Handbook Presented in Japan

To increase knowledge of the European Union's Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) and thus lay the groundwork for cooperation, the Austrian Common Security and Defense Policy Handbook was translated into several Asian languages. This handbook has now been presented in Japan.

February 15, 2023

Japanese Embassy in Vienna Organized Reception On the Occasion of the Birthday of His Majesty the Emperor

A reception was held at the Ambassador's Residence on the occasion of His Majesty the Emperor's birthday. This was the first national holiday reception in three years after the Corona-related cancellation. About 250 guests attended, among them former Austrian President Dr. Heinz Fischer as the guest of honor. Additionally, it was exciting for diplomacy that Ambassador Ryuta used his speech at the reception to outline Japan's foreign policy goals.

February 14, 2023

EU Extends Sanctions Against Russia

The European Union is extending its economic sanctions against the Russian Federation for the aggression in Ukraine. The sanctions will be extended for a half year now.

January 29, 2023

List of National Days of the Home Countries of All Foreign Missions and Delegations in Vienna, Austria

The Vindobona table below is an updated list of National Days of all nations, which belong to at least one of following categories: Foreign Missions and Delegations in Vienna, Austria; Diplomatic Corps and other representations in Austria; International Organizations in Vienna and Permanent Missions; Missions and Delegations to the OSCE.

February 11, 2015 · Updated: December 14, 2022; 08:12

Hybrid Butoh Vienna Art Festival with a World Star of Butoh

The first hybrid "Butoh Vienna Art Festival" from December 1 to 11 can boast a world star of Butoh. The festival, organized by Austrian-based Brazilian and top-class Butoh performer Will Lopes, from December 1 to 11, will bring Atsushi Takenouchi to Vienna. The 60-year-old Japanese is one of the most distinguished artists of this special form of dance theater, which does without a fixed form.

November 30, 2022

North Korea Sets Missile Test on Purposeful Escalation with the West and the IAEA

The provocation on the part of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, which has been going on for years, is becoming more and more intense. In recent weeks alone, a large number of missiles have been fired at both the east and west coasts. The International Atomic Energy Agency fears that North Korea's nuclear program is moving forward.

November 20, 2022

Austria Signs Participation Agreement for EXPO 2025 in Osaka

Austria recently signed the official participation contract for the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. Expo 2025 is expected to attract more than 28 million visitors from all over the world and provides the ideal stage for Austria to showcase its progress and developments.

October 31, 2022

Japanese Embassy Celebrates the Anniversary of the City Twinning Between Tokyo and Vienna

During a recent ceremony, the 25th anniversary of the twinning between the 22nd district of Vienna (Donaustadt) and the Tokyo district of Arakawa was celebrated.

September 12, 2022

UNIDO and Japan Cooperation for Resilient, Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development in Africa

The Eighth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD8), which will be held on 27 and 28 August, 2022, in Tunis, is approaching. A series of TICAD8 official side events will be held online from 23 to 26 August by the Vienna-based United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

August 23, 2022

Japanese Embassy in Vienna Invites to the Japanese Summer Festival

This summer, the Japanese Embassy in Vienna and the Japanese Society in Austria will be holding their annual Japanese Summer Festival. At the Japanese International School in Vienna, the festivities will take place from 12 to 4 p.m. on 27 August.

August 15, 2022

Japanese-OSCE Cooperation Celebrates 30 Years

An OSCE Asian Partners for Co-operation Group discussion was held on Friday in Vienna to commemorate the 30th anniversary of OSCE-Japan cooperation. In addition, a reception was held a day prior at the Ambassador's residence to mark the "30th Anniversary of Cooperation between Japan and the OSCE", attended by some 180 guests, including Austrian government officials and numerous diplomats from various countries.

July 24, 2022

Japanese Ambassador Presents Honorary Awards to Two Austrians

For over 50 years, the Japanese town of Hanamaki and the Austrian town of Berndorf have maintained a harmonious town twinning relationship. Two of the most important people behind this project have received the "Japan Foreign Minister's Award" from the Ambassador of Japan, Akira Mizutani.

July 21, 2022

EXPO 2025 in Osaka: Austria Wants to Strengthen Diplomatic Relations

Austria wants to further expand its diplomatic relations at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka. To this end, Ursula Plassnik, former Foreign Minister and experienced diplomat, has now been appointed an official representative for EXPO 2025.

June 22, 2022

IAEA Cancer Care Initiative Receives €9 Million

IAEA has received over €9 million, pledged by six countries, to support its new cancer care initiative, "Rays of Hope". The initiative wants to establish and expand radiotherapy services, with a particular focus on countries, that completely lack facilities for radiation treatment.

June 16, 2022

G7 and OSCE Condemn Russian Aggression Against Ukraine

Since the Russian Invasion of Ukraine, many countries are enraged by Putin's actions. The Russian Aggression against Ukraine is ravaging the country. The G7 members strongly condemn Russia's actions. The OSCE expressed its concerns on many issues too.

April 7, 2022

Space Diplomacy: The Annual Session of the COPUOS Legal Subcommittee

Space is an important future avenue for exploration, research, and commerce. This makes it all the more important for the nations of the world to negotiate these unlimited possibilities and to work out cooperation through diplomatic channels. One of them is the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) of the United Nations Office on Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA). The COPUOS organizes a Legal Subcommittee which is held this week.

March 30, 2022

IAEA to Assess Safety of Japan Dumping Fukushima's Radioactive Cooling Water into Sea

A team of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will go to Japan to conduct a review of the safety of the Japanese government's decision to dump radioactive cooling water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station into the ocean. Read about the review and who opposes Japan's decision.

February 7, 2022

Omicron Coming: New Entry Rules for Austria since December 20.

With immediate effect and thus before Christmas, new stricter entry rules apply for travel to Austria. This applies to both foreigners and locals. Please find the details as follows.

December 19, 2021

Austrian Foreign Ministry: New Appointments to 28 Senior Diplomatic Posts Worldwide

The Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Bundesministerium für europäische und internationale Angelegenheiten) has decided in its last meeting of the Council of Ministers the new appointments of several (28) Austrian diplomats - as follows.

December 15, 2021

Austria Offers to Build Bridges in the Russia-Ukraine Conflict

In the EU Main Committee in the Austrian Parliament, Chancellor Nehammer offered for Austria to be a "bridge-builder" in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Read about the escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine and Austria's efforts at de-escalation.

December 14, 2021

Japanese Life Sciences Corporation Invests More Than 100 Million Euros in Vienna

The Japanese life sciences company Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited is investing more than 100 million euros in a new building in Seestadt, Vienna. Read about the massive investment and see a picture of what it is supposed to look like upon completion.

November 18, 2021

Number of Foreign-Controlled Enterprises in Austria Declines

About 11,700 companies in Austria were owned by foreign groups or had owners based abroad in 2019, down about 200 companies or 1.6% from the previous year. Conversely, Austrian companies owned about 6,000 subsidiaries abroad; this was about 0.2% more than the year before.

October 12, 2021

Austrian-Japanese Society Hosts the 5th Japanese Film Days in Vienna

After being canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Austrian-Japanese Society (ÖJG) will host the fifth "Japannual" Japanese Film Days in Vienna at the Film Casino in Margareten. With over 20 films included this year, the festival brings a broad overview of current film events in Japan to Vienna. Read more about the festival, some of the movies included this year, and how to get tickets.

October 5, 2021

Opening of the IAEA Board of Governors Meeting 2021 in Vienna

The IAEA Board of Governors met physically this week under the chairmanship of Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi in the Plenary Hall of the M-Building at the Vienna International Centre (VIC), and discussed the topics listed below.

September 17, 2021

Casinos Austria International in Japan: Casino Resort Milestone Completed

CAI, a wholly owned subsidiary of Casinos Austria AG, has cleared an important hurdle in an elaborate selection process in Japan (Nagasaki Prefecture) for one of the three casino licenses to be awarded.

August 20, 2021

Hiroshima and Nagasaki Memorial: Austria Calls for Disarmament

On the 76th anniversary of the dropping of atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg called for nuclear disarmament. They highlighted the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), signed earlier this year, as a good starting point.

August 5, 2021

Covid-19 in Austria: These Are the Updated Entry Rules

Due to today's amendment of the Austrian "COVID-19 Entry Regulation 2021", we bring you an update on the regulations for entering Austria.

July 20, 2021

Why Austria Is NOT One of the Best Countries in the World

Why a top "Quality of Life" rating is not enough to rank among the "best" countries in the world, and why expat destinations like Canada, Japan, Germany, Australia and even Switzerland are uncatchable ahead of Austria.

April 30, 2021

Vienna Stock Exchange: Introduction of 13 Asian Companies

The Vienna Stock Exchange has expanded its offering on the global market by three Chinese and ten Japanese stocks. This addition was made after recently recording a growing demand for Asian shares. Among the new companies offered are the technology group Fujifilm and the pharmaceutical company Takeda Pharmaceutical.

April 29, 2021

Viennese Theater Productions Premiere in Japan

The Viennese theater productions "Mozart!" and "Elisabeth" premiere in Japan despite the Covid-19 pandemic. The two musicals will be staged numerous times in various cities in Japan and show the interest of the Japanese population in Austrian theater productions.

April 22, 2021

Austrian Foreign Ministry: New Appointments to 30 Senior Diplomatic Positions Worldwide

The Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Bundesministerium für europäische und internationale Angelegenheiten) under the guidance of Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg has decided in today's meeting of the Council of Ministers the new appointments of several (30) Austrian representative authorities - as follows.

February 24, 2021

Österreichisches Außenministerium: Neubesetzung von 30 Diplomatischen Leitungsfunktionen Weltweit

Das Österreichische Außenministerium (Bundesministerium für europäische und internationale Angelegenheiten) unter der Leitung von Außenminister Alexander Schallenberg hat in der heutigen Sitzung des Ministerrates die Neubesetzung von mehreren (30) österreichischen Vertretungsbehörden - wie folgt - beschlossen.

February 24, 2021

How the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement Benefits Austria

The EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) celebrates its second anniversary by adding 28 protected geographical indications, one of them important for Austria, and facilitating trade in wine and vehicles. The agreement does not only benefit the EU as a whole, but has also immediate impact on Austria's economy.

February 8, 2021

New Year's Reception for Vienna's Diplomatic Corps

Alexander Van Der Bellen and Pedro Lopez Quintana, the doyen of the diplomatic corps, delivered a video address on the occasion of the New Year 2021 to all diplomats accredited in Austria and to the international community in general. Read the most important excerpts from the Austrian President's speech below.

January 29, 2021

Japan's Abe Thanked Kurz for Cooperation

In a telephone summit, Japan's Prime Minister Abe and Austria's Chancellor Kurz wished each other farewell since Abe will step down as Japan's leading politician due to health issues.

September 10, 2020

IPU World Conference: National Council President Sobotka Highlights Importance of International Cooperation

The 5th IPU World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, originally planned on being conducted in Vienna, was held virtually from August 19 to August 20. Austrian National Council President Sobotka as well as the majority of the representatives underlined the importance of international cooperation.

August 21, 2020

Austrian Officials Open 13th IPU Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament

The 13th IPU Summit is held virtually and will cover important topics dealing with countless inequalities women face today. The organization of the event is a common effort between the Austrian Parliament and the United Nations.

August 18, 2020

Austria Lifts Landing Bans for Airplanes from All 18 Countries that were Previously Banned

The previous landing bans for aircraft from 18 countries expired on 1 August 2020. From now on, new entry regulations will apply, requiring a mandatory Covid 19 test. There are exceptions for diplomats and some other groups.

August 1, 2020

Coronavirus Worldwide Update

Worldwide deaths has exceed 610,000, according to data collected by the ECDC Centre in Sweden. More than 14.7 million people have been infected, while some 8.6 million have recovered. According to the WHO World Health Organisation, the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) is still the USA, where there are already more than 140,000 deaths. The number of infected and dead continues to rise sharply in most countries. Following is the situation update as of July 22, 2020.

July 20, 2020

COVID-19: Risk Assessment on Travel and Visits to Austria

The coronavirus outbreak has now reached Austria and the disease is spreading further. What is the risk of infection when travelling in and to Austria?

February 28, 2020

Reception of Austria-Accredited Ambassadors in the Federal Chancellery

The new Austrian Federal Government is in favour of continuing multilateral cooperation, especially in cooperation with the European countries.

January 31, 2020

Vienna Welcomes New Ambassadors from Japan, Croatia, El Salvador, Somalia, Andorra and Nicaragua

Last week Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen welcomed the six newly accredited Ambassadors of Japan, the Republic of Croatia, the Republic of El Salvador, the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Principality of Andorra and the Republic of Nicaragua to Austria to the Presidential Chancellery of the Vienna Imperial Palace for the presentation of their letters of accreditation.

January 20, 2020

Meet the New Ambassador of Japan, H.E. Mr. Akira Mizutani

The new Ambassador of Japan to Austria, H.E. Mr. Akira Mizutani presented Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen with his letter of accreditation at the Vienna Hofburg.

January 20, 2020

Traditional New Year Reception for the Diplomatic Corps in Vienna

The Federal President's Reception for the Diplomatic Corps annually gathers all diplomatic representatives in Vienna in the Ceremonial Hall of the Hofburg.

January 17, 2020

Austria Acquires Extraordinary Estate of Star Photographer Yoichi Okamoto

The Austrian National Library recently scored a special coup by purchasing the personal photographic estate of Yoichi R. Okamoto. The Japanese-American, who was promoted to official photographer of the White House under President Lyndon B. Johnson, was head of the American photography service in Austria from 1948 to 1954 and thus had the opportunity to capture post-war Austria directly with his camera.

November 7, 2019

Enthronement of Emperor Naruhito in the Presence of Van der Bellen

Guests from around 200 countries attended the ceremony of the enthronement of Emperor Naruhito in the Japanese Imperial Palace in Tokyo, including Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen and Doris Schmidauer.

October 22, 2019

Celebration of the Imperial Accession to the Throne in Tokyo with Van der Bellen

President Van der Bellen takes part in the ceremony for the accession of the new "Tenno", Emperor Naruhito, to the throne in Tokyo and in the bilateral economic forum "Austria Connect Japan". Other items on the agenda include talks with the Presidents of Georgia and Estonia.

October 21, 2019

Visit of Japanese Princess Kako to Austria

The Japanese Emperor's niece, Her Imperial Highness Princess Kako of Akishino, visits Austria for several days on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Austria and Japan, and met with Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen and Federal Chancellor Bierlein for talks.

September 18, 2019