The many-year-long successful partnership between Bulgaria and the Meiji Corporation strengthens trust and is an example the Japanese investors who want to implement their projects in Bulgaria will follow. This is what Head of State Rumen Radev said at a meeting with Kazuo Kawamura, President of Meiji Holding, Katsunari Matsuda, President of Meiji Ltd and with the leadership of the Japanese corporation. The meeting in Tokyo is the first within the Bulgarian President’s visit to Japan on the occasion of the enthronement of the new Emperor of Japan, Naruhito.

Meiji is one of the leaders in the production and sales of milk and dairy products and confectionary products in Japan and has 30 plants in different parts of the country. The company has been producing and selling yoghurt with the trade mark “Bulgarian yoghurt Meiji” for 45 years in Japan under the license and with the support of our country. Five research institutes for the study and development of foods and food diets are functioning at the corporation and in President Radev’s words, establishing an active partnership in these spheres serves both countries’ interests.

At the meeting the Head of State voiced gratitude to the company’s leadership also for Meiji’s contribution to deepening the cultural ties between Bulgaria and Japan. With the company’s support an exhibition of old-Bulgarian manuscripts, 7 tours of the Sofia National Opera and a tour of Sofia soloists have been organized in the past years.

To popularize Bulgaria and Bulgarian culture in Japan, Meiji sponsors on a regular basis special publications in the Japanese press on the occasion of Bulgaria’s national holiday and also a lot of documentaries dedicated to the Bulgarian nature, culture, opportunities for tourism, the training of Bulgarian students in Japanese and healthy lifestyle.  It also sponsors the Japanese town of Murayama for organizing preparatory camps of the Bulgarian national team in rhythmic gymnastics for the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020.