A Japanese Perspective

During my tenure as Ambassador of Japan to Georgia from 2017 to 2020, I was fortunate to receive the warm friendship of many Georgian colleagues and friends. My memories of Georgia are sustained not merely by its magnificent history, natural beauty, or iconic wine culture, but above all by the enduring friendship of its people—an experience that has remained deeply rooted in my heart. It is this very experience that has become the driving force behind my desire to strengthen the bonds between our two nations across borders.

Japan experienced rapid economic growth in the 1960s and 1970s, during which family‑style corporate practices remained prevalent. Yet from around the year 2000, the rapid influx of foreign capital made the international standardization of corporate governance unavoidable. The introduction of the Corporate Governance Code, the expansion of independent directors, and the emphasis on dialogue with shareholders and stakeholders have all contributed to reforms that enhanced transparency and accountability. I believe these experiences offer valuable comparative insights for Georgian companies seeking autonomous growth while welcoming foreign investment.

Georgia has continued to advance its integration with the European market, most notably through the entry into force of the EU Association Agreement in 2016 and the subsequent introduction of visa‑free travel to the Schengen area in 2017. These significant milestones not only reaffirm Georgia’s steadfast commitment to European norms and standards, but also illustrate how these efforts are intrinsically connected to the strength and credibility of the country’s corporate governance framework.

For Japanese companies, Georgia presents a wide spectrum of business opportunities. When companies from both countries share a medium‑ to long‑term purpose and engage in joint operations, the mutual learning that emerges can generate significant value. Japanese firms can contribute their culture of consensus‑building and socially responsible management, while Georgian partners bring the resilience and agility forged in a demanding geopolitical environment. If both sides can identify common values and objectives, it may even be possible to explore a partnership‑based model of corporate governance that transcends conventional investment relationships.

Georgia has overcome repeated conflicts and periods of transition, enshrining Euro‑Atlantic integration in its 1995 Constitution and reaffirming “full integration” into the EU and NATO in the 2018 constitutional revision. Approximately 80 percent of the population supports this strategic orientation, which serves as an anchor of national policy. At the same time, Georgia’s “multi‑vector diplomacy”—balancing clear Euro‑Atlantic aspirations with pragmatic relations with neighboring states and major powers—remains indispensable for safeguarding national sovereignty and security.

What particularly interests me is how Georgian citizens define their own identity within a national framework that embraces Euro‑Atlantic integration as a guiding principle. The values articulated in the EU Charter—human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law, and respect for human rights—are not abstract ideals; they acquire meaning only when they permeate everyday life.

Georgia is a multiethnic and multireligious society, home to Georgians, Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Russians, and others, with the Orthodox Church at its center alongside Islam and the Armenian Apostolic Church. Whether this diversity can be redefined not as a source of division but as a pluralistic community bound by shared civic values will serve as a litmus test for Georgia’s maturity as a nation aspiring to EU membership.

Euro‑Atlantic integration does not offer Georgia a purely rosy narrative. It requires citizens to internalize the compromises inherent in majority rule, the social welfare systems that complement market competition, tolerance toward religion and ideology, freedom of expression, respect for human rights across gender and ethnicity, and the establishment of a robust rule‑of‑law system. A broader segment of society must digest these principles and situate themselves within this evolving framework.

The continued occupation of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region (former South Ossetia) by Russia casts a long shadow over Georgia’s efforts to reconcile territorial integrity with domestic cohesion. More than three decades after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Georgia still faces the challenge of transcending narrow ethnic nationalism and articulating national values that can be shared across its diverse communities.

Japan, too, embraced democracy as a national principle after the Second World War, cultivating the values of the rule of law and respect for human rights. Yet these values are not rigid binaries; they possess a flexibility shaped by history and national identity. The formation of a modern nation‑state is never achieved overnight—it requires citizens to engage in sustained dialogue and reflection. If young people and business leaders from Japan and Georgia can continue to explore these enduring questions together, it would greatly enrich the bilateral relationship.

Viewed in this light, Japan’s postwar experience, Georgia’s aspiration toward Euro‑Atlantic integration, and its ongoing democratization and integration processes together create a foundation for dialogue that transcends conventional bilateral relations. Our engagement increasingly takes on the character of a shared inquiry into values and identity—an endeavor of profound significance for both nations.