Japan is South Africa’s fourth-largest trading partner, with significant investments in energy, mineral resources, and the automotive industry — collectively creating over 150,000 jobs. More than 2,000 South Africans have undergone technical training in Japan, including Kaizen practices, which enhance productivity and performance in the manufacturing sector. Japan has consistently supported South Africa’s journey towards sustainable industrial development.
This year marks 115 years of official relations between Japan and South Africa, and Japan regards South Africa as a key partner in its Strategic Cooperative Partnership. There are currently around 260 Japanese company offices operating in South Africa. The staff and families of these businesses, along with permanent residents, form a dynamic Japanese community that plays a vital role in bridging strong and lasting ties between the two nations.
In Johannesburg, this connection finds a deeply human expression in the decades-long bond between the Japanese community and Orlando Children’s Home in Soweto — one of the oldest orphanages in South Africa. This relationship, which has thrived for over 30 years, is built on friendship, cultural exchange, and shared values. Mr Yasushi Naito of the Embassy of Japan first met the home’s director, Mrs Mirriam Mazibuko, in 1992. Since then, learners from the Japanese School of Johannesburg and children from the home have regularly visited each other, nurturing a powerful connection across continents and cultures.
On 5 July, a group of 30 learners and teachers from the Japanese School were warmly welcomed by the staff and children of Orlando Children’s Home. The purpose of the exchange was to foster communication, cultural understanding, and genuine friendship. The children played and laughed together, discovering each other’s worlds through games such as nawatobi (rope jumping), origami, and traditional Japanese and African dances. It was a joyful and moving sight to see them engaging so naturally, barriers falling away in the shared language of play.
The bond doesn’t end there. Some former Japanese School learners, now university students in Japan, have returned to volunteer at the home. One such volunteer was so inspired by his experience that he now works with Save the Children, advocating for refugee children in a remote Ugandan village.
The inspiration has always flowed both ways. Mr Junichiro Koizumi, who visited the home in 1997 as Japan’s Minister of Health, returned to Johannesburg in 2002 as Prime Minister to attend the World Summit on Sustainable Development. At the summit venue, he was greeted by some of the same children he had met five years earlier. One young girl played the harmonica he had given her on his first visit — a moment captured in a cherished photograph that now hangs proudly in the children’s dining hall. That young girl has since become a social worker, dedicating her life to helping children in need. Many of the home’s “graduates” have overcome adversity to succeed in business and life, and the older children continue to shine with a remarkable sense of positivity and respect.
Over the years, Orlando Children’s Home has helped instil the spirit of Ubuntu — “I am because we are” — into the hearts of the Japanese community. Visitors to the home have included artists, entrepreneurs, development workers, and ministers. Notably, Tokiko Kato, a renowned Japanese singer who once visited the home, later organised a “Thank You Rescue Team from South Africa” concert in Japan following the Great East Japan Earthquake. She generously donated some of the proceeds to the home. On another occasion, Embassy staff raised funds to purchase cots for the babies’ unit during the Christmas season.
Saturday’s exchange took place at the Youth Development Centre, built in 2018 with grant assistance from the Japanese government. Among the attendees was Mr Roberto Orlando, who coaches judo at the Judo for Hope Centre in Alexandra — another initiative supported by the Japanese government. He now hopes to bring judo to the Youth Centre in Soweto, broadening the reach of this growing circle of friendship.
At the heart of this long-standing connection is the formidable Mrs Mirriam Mazibuko, director of Orlando Children’s Home, who was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays, in 2014 by His Majesty the Emperor of Japan. This prestigious honour recognises her extraordinary contribution to fostering friendship and goodwill between Japan and South Africa. To date, she has hosted more than 1,000 visitors from Japan, offering them a uniquely South African welcome and building lasting bridges of compassion and understanding.
As Japan and South Africa continue to grow closer, it is clear that their shared future rests not just in trade agreements or political ties, but in people-to-people relationships built on trust, empathy, and mutual respect — the very essence of Ubuntu.
by Marion Kate
