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 Island is the largest island in the gulf with an area of 1,500 square kilometers and is located in a coastal region with a warm and dry climate.
The semitropical atmosphere of Qeshm Island is completely different from Tehran. In addition to having a special strategic position and various other advantages, the island is rich in biodiversity. As a designated UNESCO Global Geopark, Qeshm Island plays a significant role in promoting sustainable tourism in the region.
At the Qeshm Global Geopark Museum, one of the most integrated wildlife museums in Iran in terms of biodiversity. It covers an area of more than 2,000 square meters and houses more than 3,000 animal specimens.
A beachside dinner hosted by the Qeshm Free Zone Organization. It operates one of the six free trade zones set up by the Iranian government to support economic activities and facilitate international trade relations. Companies and investors in these zones are exempt from routine taxation and other customary charges that are imposed in mainland Iran.
[December 25, Qeshm and Bandar Abbas, Iran]
Visiting the Valley of Stars, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site.
Known locally as “Estalah Kaftah,” which means “fallen star,” the valley is famed for its unnatural rock formations shaped by the erosion of soil, rock, and sand over millions of years dating back to the Cenozoic era. Local lore adds a mystical layer to the experience, with legends suggesting that these shapes were formed by a meteorite impact.
Departing Qeshm Island by a speedboat across the Strait of Hormuz.
Cargo ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. About one-fifth of the total amount of oil consumed in the world passes through the waterway, including more than 80% of Japan's crude oil imports.
Moving back to Bandar Abbas to meet with Governor General Mohammad Ashouri Taziani of Hormozgan Province.
Discussing the issue of ocean debris with the governor general, I invited him to send a team to the second “SpoGomi” World Cup which The Nippon Foundation will host in Tokyo in October 2025. Representatives from more than 30 countries from around the globe will compete for the world title by collecting the most trash from the streets of Tokyo. He promised to do so.
“SpoGomi”, the conflation of an abbreviation of "sport" with the Japanese word for trash ("gomi"), was invented in Japan in 2008 as a competition to encourage people to clean up public spaces.
With Foreign Ministry officials who took care of me during my visit to Iran.
