Meeting between Mr. KOBAYASHI Ryuichiro, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. and Dr. Giovanni Bonello (17 June)
2026/7/1
On the 17th of June, Mr. KOBAYASHI Ryuichiro, Chargé d’Affaires a.i., had the honour of welcoming Dr. Giovanni Bonello to the Embassy.
Dr. Bonello is a distinguished Maltese jurist, a former judge of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), and an author specializing in human rights law and Maltese history. He is widely regarded as an indispensable figure when discussing the rule of law, judicial independence, and the protection of human rights in Malta. At the Casino Maltese, one of Malta’s foremost private members’ clubs, a large portrait of Dr. Bonello is displayed in tribute to the high esteem in which he is held.
The meeting was arranged in light of the fact that Dr. Bonello's book, Histories of Malta, devotes an entire chapter to the long-standing historical ties between Japan and Malta, providing an opportunity to hear directly from the author about the background to his research and the historical context of these ties.
Dr. Bonello's insights were both enlightening and thought-provoking, making the meeting a valuable opportunity to reaffirm our shared commitment to further strengthening the friendship between Japan and Malta and to working together in the pursuit of peace.
The history of exchanges between Japan and Malta dates back to the time before the Meiji Restoration, when Japan was still in the age of the samurai. At that time, the Tokugawa Shogunate dispatched a mission to Europe to learn from the advanced technologies and social systems of the West. In 1862, members of that mission became the first Japanese visitors to Malta.
The suit of armour left in Malta as a gift on that occasion was later restored by Japanese hands and, thanks also to the dedicated efforts of the Embassy of Malta in Japan, was displayed at the Malta Pavilion during last year’s Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, where it attracted great interest.
Later, from 1917 to 1918, under the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, the Imperial Japanese Navy was stationed in Malta and contributed to ensuring safe navigation in the Mediterranean. The graves of the Japanese servicemen who lost their lives during that period continue to be carefully honoured at the Kalkara Naval Cemetery. In 1921, His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Hirohito, later Emperor Showa, also visited the cemetery to pay tribute to them.
This long-standing bond has been carefully preserved to this day by Dr. Bonello and many other friends in Malta. It remains an irreplaceable part of our shared history and a powerful symbol of the friendship between Japan and Malta.
Dr. Bonello is a distinguished Maltese jurist, a former judge of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), and an author specializing in human rights law and Maltese history. He is widely regarded as an indispensable figure when discussing the rule of law, judicial independence, and the protection of human rights in Malta. At the Casino Maltese, one of Malta’s foremost private members’ clubs, a large portrait of Dr. Bonello is displayed in tribute to the high esteem in which he is held.
The meeting was arranged in light of the fact that Dr. Bonello's book, Histories of Malta, devotes an entire chapter to the long-standing historical ties between Japan and Malta, providing an opportunity to hear directly from the author about the background to his research and the historical context of these ties.
Dr. Bonello's insights were both enlightening and thought-provoking, making the meeting a valuable opportunity to reaffirm our shared commitment to further strengthening the friendship between Japan and Malta and to working together in the pursuit of peace.
The history of exchanges between Japan and Malta dates back to the time before the Meiji Restoration, when Japan was still in the age of the samurai. At that time, the Tokugawa Shogunate dispatched a mission to Europe to learn from the advanced technologies and social systems of the West. In 1862, members of that mission became the first Japanese visitors to Malta.
The suit of armour left in Malta as a gift on that occasion was later restored by Japanese hands and, thanks also to the dedicated efforts of the Embassy of Malta in Japan, was displayed at the Malta Pavilion during last year’s Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, where it attracted great interest.
Later, from 1917 to 1918, under the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, the Imperial Japanese Navy was stationed in Malta and contributed to ensuring safe navigation in the Mediterranean. The graves of the Japanese servicemen who lost their lives during that period continue to be carefully honoured at the Kalkara Naval Cemetery. In 1921, His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Hirohito, later Emperor Showa, also visited the cemetery to pay tribute to them.
This long-standing bond has been carefully preserved to this day by Dr. Bonello and many other friends in Malta. It remains an irreplaceable part of our shared history and a powerful symbol of the friendship between Japan and Malta.
