TOKYO: Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko, speaking ahead of her trip to the Middle East later this month, emphasized the importance of attracting investment from Saudi Arabia during her weekly press conference.

“We are currently in the midst of attracting investors to Saudi Arabia, a country that is enthusiastic about investing, so I think it is extremely valuable to promote Tokyo there,” she said. “I hope to promote Tokyo’s initiatives and appeal, and foster cooperation between cities.”

Koike referred to the Future Cities Initiative in Riyadh, which, she pointed out, has attracted a great deal of attention by bringing together investors and those involved in innovation and financial strategy. 

“To give you an idea, people like Elon Musk have attended this event,” she said. “And it attracts roughly 5,000 people, making it a sort of ‘Davos in the desert.’ At these events, I hope to firmly promote Tokyo’s financial market and engage in investor relations.”

While Koike is keen to boost business opportunities, she will also be promoting so-called soft power, such as anime and manga. She will be appearing on stage with Takahashi Yoichi, the creator of Captain Tsubasa, who is known as Captain Majid in the Middle East. Koike said anime and its content are said to have an economic impact of approximately 8 trillion yen.

Koike will be conducting business matching for Tokyo-based small and medium-sized enterprises and startups in Riyadh and Kuwait, as well as Tokyo’s “excellent technology” to local government officials and business communities.