By María Teresa Saldías Morales, Executive Director, Fundación Imagen de Chile
The challenge -and also the invitation- is to transform this platform into a lasting connection. One that allows us to consolidate Chile's presence in Japan and Asia, with a country image aligned with our values and capabilities.
The image that Chile projects internationally is built day by day, but there are key moments that offer unique opportunities to consolidate it. One of them is Expo Osaka 2025, which will bring together more than 28 million visitors for six months and will allow 160 countries to show the world their identity, vision and proposals. Chile is part of this instance with a participation designed to reflect what we are, how we work and what we offer from where the world begins.
Our presence in Japan takes on special relevance. With this country we share more than 127 years of diplomatic relations and a common vision based on democracy, free trade, human rights and sustainable development. However, geographical distance continues to be a challenge: it is still necessary to strengthen the knowledge and perception of Chile in Japanese society.
The recent results of the Anholt Nation Brands Index - a renowned international study on country brands - show that Chile has improved its reputation and familiarity in Japan compared to the global average. We climbed five positions in the familiarity ranking and three in the reputation ranking, which indicates a growing interest in our country. In addition, our biggest gains in Japan are linked to key dimensions such as tourism, culture, exports and investment. These data are a positive sign, but also a call to continue projecting Chile more strongly in this market.
The Chile Pavilion in Osaka, called "Makün", is not only a space to show the attributes of our country, it will be a symbolic and real bridge between Chile and Japan. Through thematic weeks that will address from astronomy to green hydrogen, from circular economy to culture and gender equality, we will show how, from the south of the world, we contribute with solutions, talent and vision of the future.
The challenge -and also the invitation- is to transform this platform into a lasting connection. One that allows us to consolidate Chile's presence in Japan and in Asia, with a country image aligned with our values and capabilities. Because the image of Chile is built by all of us, and Expo Osaka 2025 is a unique opportunity to do it well, with impact and projection.
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