At a meeting with Iranian Ambassador to Japan, Morteza Rahmani-Movahed, Tadashi Shimura added: “We are looking forward to mutual projects with Iran in order to expand our tourism trades.”

He welcomed Iran’s tourism expo in Japan, and said: “Most Japanese people know Yazd as a Unesco registered site.”

Shimura pointed out that Japanese tourists have different interests from European tourists, adding: “They are mostly interested in historic sites and prefer staying in ecotourism accommodation to hotels.”

Morteza Rahmani-Movahed also pointed to the variety of tourism attractions in Iran, saying: “Iran has something to offer for all tastes and can cater to Japanese interests.”

He continued: “The occasion of the 90th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Iran and Japan next year is a good opportunity for staging a handicrafts expo to introduce Iran to Japan, for which we will need your support.”