Grand Tour of
Switzerland in
Japan

Dear Swiss friends,
Dear Japanese friends,
Dear friends of Switzerland and Japan around the world,

In 2014, Switzerland and Japan joyfully celebrated the 150th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations. In 2019, ahead of the highly anticipated Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Embassy of Switzerland in Japan, in collaboration with Switzerland Tourism and the Swiss Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan (SCCIJ), is going on a brand new adventure.

The Grand Tour of Switzerland in Japan consists of an interactive map introducing the places in Japan that have a meaningful relation with Switzerland. In other words, it was designed to give the Japanese population the possibility to “discover Switzerland in Japan”. From sister cities to “Host Towns”, sister railways, architectural landmarks, or historical figures, you will be surprised to know that bits of Switzerland can be found all over the Archipelago!

Aside from the website, the Embassy and its partners will also make a “physical” Grand Tour of Switzerland in Japan by organizing a series of “stations” at some of the locations on the map (see the “On Tour!” category). Like the Olympic torch travelling through the country before the Opening Ceremony, these stations will constitute a “Swiss road” to the Games and to our national pavilion Maison Suisse, which will open its doors in the summer of 2021. And we certainly hope to meet many of you along the way.

Our aim is to open as many “Doors to Switzerland” as possible, thus highlighting our country as a valuable partner of Japan in various fields such as innovation, creativity, international solidarity and social inclusion.

Time has come to explore! I wish you an enjoyable time on this platform, and hope you will have fun discovering the many surprising links that exist between our two countries.

Jean-François Paroz
Ambassador of Switzerland in Japan

(Feb 2019)