【Photo Diary】 (1) Visit to Iran

Published on January 24, 2025
I would like to share with you some of the photographs taken during my visit to Iran from December 20 to 26, 2024, in my capacity as chairman of The Nippon Foundation.
 
During my stay in the capital Tehran, I met with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and other senior government officials and visited two influential think tanks－the Institute for Politics and International Studies (IPIS) and the Ravand Institute for Economic and International Studies－to exchange views on bilateral and international issues.
 
While in the Islamic republic, I also traveled to the Strait of Hormuz to see the current state of the world’s busiest oil artery.
 
[December 21, Tehran, Iran] 
 
Photo of Yohei Sasakawa with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, former ambassador to Japan, who hosted a dinner for my delegation.
With Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, former ambassador to Japan, who hosted a dinner for my delegation.

We discussed Mr. Araghchi’s proposal for holding a conference on the Middle East with a host country rotating among Iran, Japan and other Middle Eastern countries. Under the proposal, he said Iran will be represented by the Institute for Politics and International Studies (IPIS), a leading think tank affiliated with the Foreign Ministry, and Japan by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) with participants from United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait and other countries in the region.

Welcoming the proposal, I suggested inviting not only Islamic nations from the Middle East, but also from other regions－countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia, which have a growing international voice.
 
 
 
 
[December 22, Tehran, Iran]
Photo of Yohei Sasakawa and Mr. Mohammad Hassan Sheykholeslami
With Mr. Mohammad Hassan Sheykholeslami, the deputy foreign minister and president of the Institute for Politics and International Studies (IPIS).
 




Photo of Yohei Sasakawa and professors and young researchers gathered at IPIS.
I gave a lecture on my years of experience of humanitarian and other activities to some 40 former ambassadors, professors and young researchers gathered at IPIS, and this was followed by discussions on a wide range of issues. 
 




Photo of Yohei Sasakawa and IPIS members.
IPIS hosted a lunch for my delegation.
 




[December 23, Tehran, Iran]

 

Photo of a mountain range forms the backdrop to these Tehran buildings.
A mountain range forms the backdrop to these Tehran buildings.
 




Photo of Yohei Sasakawa and Seyed Mohammad Hosssein Adeli.
With Seyed Mohammad Hosssein Adeli, former ambassador to Japan and president of the Iran-Japan Friendship Association. The meeting took place at the Ravand Institute for Economic and International Studies, Iran’s first private, non-governmental and non-partisan think tank, which Dr. Adeli founded in 2005 after he left the foreign service.

We agreed to explore the possibility of organizing events to mark the 100th anniversary of Japan-Iran diplomatic relations in 2029　with the events to be hosted by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, the Ravand Institute for Economic and International Studies and the Iran-Japan Friendship Association
 

 



Photo of Yoheisa Sakawa and.
Meeting with Dr. Mahshid Nasehi, national director of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education’s TB, Leprosy and Acute Respiratory Disease Control Department, in my capacity as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination.

I commended the Iranian government for eliminating leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, as a public health problem 25 years ago, achieving a registered prevalence rate of less than one case per 10,000 population as per the WHO definition for leprosy elimination at that time.

She said the country is trying to eradicate the disease, as new cases are still occurring, and expressed concern about the decreasing number of doctors who can diagnose it.

I supported her suggestion to send young doctors to countries with high prevalence rates of leprosy for training.



Photo of Yohei Sasakawa and Ms. Sedigheh Zarei, who studied at the World Maritime University (WMU) in Sweden under the Sasakawa fellowship program.
With Ms. Sedigheh Zarei, who studied at the World Maritime University (WMU) in Sweden under the Sasakawa fellowship program. 
 




Photo of Rush-hour traffic in Tehran.
Rush-hour traffic in Tehran. 
 




(To be continued)
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【Photo Diary】 (2) Visit to Iran

January 27, 2025
I would like to share with you some of the photographs taken during my visit to Iran from December 20 to 26, 2024, in my capacity as chairman of The Nippon Foundation.[December 24, Qeshm, Iran]We flew from Tehran to Bandar-e Abbās, a port city in the south of Iran, from where we traveled by high-speed boat to Qeshm Island, an arrow-shaped island in the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf. Qeshm I