On 28 November 2022, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, the Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO) delivered a congratulatory remark during the ceremony marking the 150th anniversary of Japan Customs, held in Tokyo, Japan.
The ceremony was attended by Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko of Japan. Around 300 guests, including Members of the National Diet (Japan House of Representatives), Government Officials, related Organisations and Ambassadors based in Tokyo, celebrated the milestone achievement.
In his remarks, Dr. Mikuriya appreciated the contribution of Japan Customs to the Global Customs community, recalling that several WCO Members have acknowledged the capacity-building support provided by Japan, one of the major donors of the Organization. He also emphasized the importance of looking at the future by nurturing the next generation of Customs officers and by instilling a culture of knowledge-sharing and professional pride in Customs, and concluded his remarks by wishing prosperity to Japan Customs, and highlighting that the future can only be built on the premises of a strong foundation built by the previous generation.