Shikata highlighted the growing opportunities for bilateral trade and investment in line with the country’s Madani economic framework.
“Before I left Tokyo for Malaysia, I met with a number of Japanese business leaders, and they have renewed interest in investing in Malaysia,” he said in an interview with FMT.
“This includes green transformation-related investments … green hydrogen, biomass, carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS), among others.”
He said the renewed interest is also driven by Malaysia’s increasing role as a data centre hub in Asia.
“There will be a number of new business and investment opportunities for Japanese companies to come up with sustainable investments,” he said, adding that their benefits would extend to both urban and rural areas.
Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is set to make his first official bilateral visit to Malaysia on Friday since assuming office in October last year.
While Ishiba has attended various international conferences, Malaysia will be the first country to host him for a direct bilateral dialogue.
Shikata said Ishiba and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim are expected to discuss a range of issues, including political and security cooperation, business partnerships, and academic and cultural exchanges.
“Based on our close friendly ties, we are looking forward to upgrading our partnership for the future,” he said.
Reciprocal approach
Shikita, who arrived in Malaysia last November, said he envisions a shift from the decades-old Look East Policy into a more reciprocal approach.
He expressed admiration for how Malaysian youths have embraced Japanese culture, from cuisine and music to anime and language.
“There should be more young Japanese people who come (to visit) Malaysia, maybe to even study at Malaysian universities,” he said.
“So, hopefully, this Look East policy will become a ‘mutually look-at-each-other policy’, and will create a new fruitful future for our people.”
Since 1982, some 28,000 Malaysian students have furthered their studies in Japan.