Ambassador Orikasa and Dr. Yuriko Kikuchi Meet with President Surangel Whipps Jr. to Discuss Heritage Site Preservation and Tourism Promotion of Palau

On August 13th, 2024, Dr. KIKUCHI Yuriko, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Advanced Studies on Asia, University of Tokyo accompanied by His Excellency Ambassador ORIKASA Hiroyuki and JICA Palau Office Chief Representative Mr. AOKI Tsunenori, paid a courtesy visit to H.E. Surangel S. Whipps Jr. at the Office of the President in Koror.
 
This visit follows the discussions held between Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan and President Surangel S. Whipps, Jr. during their summit meeting in Tokyo on June 14, 2023. During that meeting, the leaders emphasized the importance of preserving and documenting historical sites, reflecting their shared commitment to Palauan cultural heritage and Japanese related historical site preservation in Palau, as a way to strengthen the Japan-Palau bilateral relationship. President Whipps requested Prime Minister Kishida to send a Japanese archaeologist to Palau.

Dr. Kikuchi was dispatched to Palau on a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) initial survey mission to assist in dispatchment of a Japanese archaeologist to Palau in the near future and in rehabilitation of the World War II Memorial Museum in Peleliu State. The museum, set to open on September 15, 2024, is a collaborative effort between the Palauan government, the Peleliu State government, the U.S. Embassy, and the Australian Embassy in Palau.