In the past four years of his tenure, His Excellency Baraka H. Luvanda, Ambassador of Tanzania to Japan, distinguished himself as a dedicated diplomat who worked tirelessly to enhance Tanzania–Japan relations and strengthen bonds with other accredited countries, namely, Australia and New Zealand. Under his stewardship, Tanzania–Japan ties grew stronger across political, economic, and cultural dimensions. He successfully facilitated major Japanese investment missions to Tanzania, attracting over 140 companies and inspiring leading conglomerates such as TOYOTA Tsusho, KUBOTA, SAKAI Heavy Industries, ITO EN and so many others, to explore business opportunities in the country. His leadership also ushered in the establishment of sister-city relations between Dodoma City and Nagai City, Yamagata Prefecture, thereby opening new avenues for collaboration in sports, education, tourism, and cultural exchange.

Ambassador Luvanda also promoted Tanzania’s agricultural exports to Japan, including the launch of dried pineapples from Bagamoyo in Japanese supermarkets; and the strengthening of coffee trade partnerships for Tanzania small-scale producers under the ELPS Programme. He further advanced cooperation in health, education, agriculture, governance, energy, blue economy, infrastructure, transportation and urban development, water, sports and culture exchanges, among others, through JICA-supported initiatives, while ensuring Tanzania played a visible role in regional and multilateral forums by serving as Dean of both the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Diplomatic Groups in Japan.

Beyond Japan, Ambassador Luvanda extended his diplomacy to Australia and New Zealand, where his efforts contributed to a remarkable increase in tourist arrivals and mining investors to Tanzania. From the pandemic of 2019 - 2021, numbers of tourists from Japan, Australia, and New Zealand grew sharply in 2022, reflecting renewed confidence and interest in Tanzania as a prime tourist destination.

Ambassador Luvanda leaves behind a legacy of strengthened partnerships, expanded people-to-people ties, and enhanced visibility for Tanzania in the Asia-Pacific region. His successor, Ambassador - Designate, Mr. Anderson Mutatembwa, is expected to arrive soon to continue building on this strong foundation.

 

EMBASSY OF TANZANIA IN JAPAN

SEPTEMBER 2025