Israel’s 78th Independence Day reception in Tokyo on Thursday evening also became a farewell event for Israeli Ambassador Gilad Cohen, who is ending a five-year posting in Japan. About 300 guests attended the ceremony hosted by the Israeli embassy, including Japan’s Minister for Economic Revitalization Minoru Kiuchi, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Iwao Horii, lawmakers, diplomats, business leaders, and senior figures from defense, academia and the media.
Speakers from the Japanese side stressed the depth of bilateral ties and said there was major room to expand cooperation in economics, innovation, science, technology and security. Cohen, in his remarks, said, “The friendship between Israel and Japan is stronger today than ever before,” adding that he was proud of the achievements of the past five years and grateful to Japan’s many partners, saying the relationships built there would remain a solid basis for deepening ties in the years ahead.
The evening had a more personal tone as Cohen and his wife, Kinneret, appeared in traditional Japanese dress, he in hakama and she in a kimono. Singer Hedva Amrani provided the event’s highlight, returning to Tokyo, where she won in 1970 as part of the duo Hedva and David at the international song festival with “Ani Holem Al Naomi.” She performed the song in Hebrew and Japanese, and many guests joined in.
Amrani thanked Cohen and the embassy team for inviting her back to Japan, saying that singing “Ani Holem Al Naomi” there was “always a wonderful feeling and a full-circle moment.” Later, guests danced to “Salam Aleikum.” At the end of the event, Cohen and Aiko Moromatsu, president of the Israel-Japan Friendship Association, presented Amrani with a certificate of appreciation and an original manga illustration of her by artist Makoto Tanaka. A video at the reception also reviewed recent milestones in relations, including Israel’s participation in Expo Osaka 2025, El Al’s direct Tel Aviv-Tokyo route, and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s visit to Japan.
