| Danial Norjidi |
“IT IS a great honour for me, but this honour is because the Bruneian people supported me.”
These were the words of Hiroshi Sawada, who recently received a prestigious award in recognition of his contribution towards promoting the bilateral relationship between Brunei Darussalam and Japan.
Sawada is the former President of the Japanese Association Brunei Darussalam and former Secretary-General of the Brunei-Japan Friendship Association (BJFA), and he lived in Brunei for over 30 years before moving back to Japan.
On April 29, the Government of Japan announced the recipients of the 2016 Spring Decorations. It was during this that Sawada was announced as one of the recipients.
As the Embassy of Japan explained in a recent press release, Sawada received “the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays in recognition of his significant contribution to promote the bilateral relationship between Brunei and Japan, as well as to further Bruneian’s understanding of Japan”.
Hiroshi Sawada with his wife, Shigeko Sawada
On May 12, Sawada, together with his spouse Shigeko Sawada, attended a conferment ceremony conducted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Fumio Kishida, and was received in audience by His Majesty the Emperor Akihito at the Imperial Palace.
Speaking in an email interview with the Weekend Bulletin, Sawada said, “I was surprised that the Japanese Government saw my work in Brunei. I was thankful that I could also live in Brunei for 32 years. If I didn’t go to Brunei, I wouldn’t have received such an honour.”
Asked for his own thoughts on the work he did towards promoting the bilateral relationship between Brunei and Japan, he said, “In 1984, Japanese diplomatic relations were established with Brunei. About 80 Japanese were living in Brunei.
“We established the Japanese Association, and it was necessary to open a Japanese school and we established one in Kg Tungku two years later.”
He recounted that, when the Japanese school was opened, Japanese mothers and children responded very positively, while the local community was also very supportive.
He shared that several years later there was an exchange by Japan and Brunei, and the industrial sector became popular, “beyond 100 Japanese people”.
Touching on the BJFA, he said that he was asked to participate in the establishment of the BJFA by the founding President, Dato Paduka Awang Haji Hamdillah bin Haji Abdul Wahab.
He recounted that the BJFA did performances in Brunei featuring Japanese dance, Japanese drums and a Taisho harp, and also noted exhibitions featuring paintings, photographs and arts and crafts.
Sawada also said that during his time at BJFA came the introduction of youth exchange with the Wakayama-Prefecture and Sendai City in Japan, as well as a student exchange with Rikkyo University, all sponsored by the BJFA. “Even now, there are exchanges with Wakayama-Prefecture and Rikkyo University every year.” He also noted participation in the Aichi World Exposition.
He said that he was very happy to have been able to work with the BJFA and its members, saying that “it was fortunate that I could meet them”.
Sawada first arrived in the Sultanate as a project manager for Mitsubishi Corporation in its joint venture with Brunei to set up McFarm at Kg Tungku, Gadong, which was working on livestock breeding.
“I’m very thankful even now to the people of Kg Tungku, who gave good support and cooperation.
“I spent half of a lifetime in Brunei. My family enjoyed the Bruneian life,” he said, adding that he wished to do more to develop exchanges between Brunei and Japan.
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