Firstly, the celebration of this grand occasion offers a timely and renewed opportunity to remind the world once again of Egypt’s civilizational leadership and its long-standing historical contributions to the entire humanity.
For centuries, ancient Egyptian civilization carried the torch of enlightenment, guiding humankind toward progress, prosperity, and well-being, materially, spiritually, morally, intellectually, and culturally. This constitutes a fundamental pillar of Egypt’s soft power, especially in an age when the importance, influence, and impact of soft power are growing globally, and when its sources have become a crucial factor in shaping the international standing and regional influence of every country.
Secondly, the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum fulfils a dream that has long been awaited for many years. It should be recalled that the museum was originally planned and scheduled to open in 2012.
However, the events of the 25 January 2011 Revolution and the subsequent period of instability led to delays in some of the museum’s work. Consequently, there was a need for a re-evaluation and revision of several procedures, tenders, construction plans, and visitor services to ensure that the museum would be completed in line with the state-of-the-art standards in museum construction and the necessary accompanying facilities, such as laboratories and others.
Thirdly, the opening of the museum grants Egypt a new platform to employ cultural diplomacy and public diplomacy in harmony, coordination, and effectiveness. The goal is to reach out to broad audiences from other countries and regions, whether to attract many more tourists to visit Egypt to see this exceptional and unique museum, which will be one of the largest in the world not only in size but also in the number of artefacts it houses, all belonging to a single civilization, that of ancient Egypt; or to attract intellectuals, artists, and creators from around the world who will find new sources of inspiration drawn from this magnificent and comprehensive museum and the profound human and civilizational heritage it embodies.
As the entire world congratulates Egypt on this great achievement, the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, accomplished through the intellect, determination, and efforts of its people, it is also important on this occasion to acknowledge with appreciation and gratitude the countries that supported Egypt in the museum project. Foremost among these countries is Japan, which provided Egypt with significant material, technical, and technological assistance in constructing the museum, equipping it with the latest technologies, and providing the necessary infrastructure and facilities supporting it.
This cooperation took shape through specific arrangements agreed upon by both countries and began in the first decade of the 21st century. Japan was both the pioneer and the principal contributor among all countries of the world in offering this major and diverse support to this grand Egyptian and international project, from its inception until its opening. The Japanese-Egyptian cooperation on the Grand Egyptian Museum did not emerge in isolation. Firstly, Egyptian-Japanese cooperation dates back to the period following the July 23, 1952, revolution in Egypt.
Secondly, this cooperation, particularly in its early decades, was characterized by a strong cultural dimension, including matters related to antiquities. I explored this topic in detail in my book published by the Supreme Council of Culture in Cairo in 2010, titled “Cultural Diplomacy: The Egyptian-Japanese Case”.
What I would like to emphasize here, however, is Japan’s pivotal role in the international effort to help Egypt rescue the Nubian antiquities during the construction of the Aswan High Dam in the 1960s, a global project coordinated at the time by UNESCO. About two decades later, Japan once again cooperated with Egypt in building the Cairo Opera House, which has since become a centre of continued, expanded and dynamic cultural and artistic radiance.
The Grand Egyptian Museum project, initiated roughly two decades after the Opera House, represents a new and important phase in Egyptian-Japanese cultural cooperation. This collaboration expanded to include other major projects, such as the establishment of the Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST) in Borg El Arab and the project of introducing Japanese schools in Egypt, both of which are projects with clear cultural content. Such emphasis on the cultural dimension in Egypt-Japan relations is both natural and logical, as both nations have enriched human civilization through their ancient heritages spanning thousands of years.
Both countries have also played, and continue to play, leading roles in various international initiatives promoting dialogue among civilizations, cultures, and religions. Finally, since we are speaking on this historic occasion about Egyptian-Japanese cooperation in the field of ancient Egyptian antiquities, we cannot but acknowledge that one of the world’s foremost Egyptologists is the Japanese scholar Professor Sakuji Yoshimura.
Over many decades, he has led numerous archaeological missions, particularly those organized by the famous Japanese Waseda University. Professor Yoshimura is renowned for discovering one of the Pharaohs’ solar boats.
He was honoured by His Majesty the Emperor of Japan, who awarded him the Order of the Rising Sun, one of Japan’s highest decorations. Thus, it is hoped that Egyptian-Japanese cooperation will continue to grow and advance in the future, reaching broader and more ambitious horizons worthy of the historical, civilizational, and human contributions of these two great countries and their distinguished peoples.
*The writer is a former Ambassador of Egypt to Japan
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