Japan Myanmar Friendship Association (JMFA)

The Japan Myanmar Friendship Association (JMFA) aims at mutual development of Myanmar-Japan, both in countries and people. For this vision, JMFA promotes active culture, society and economic exchange including business and legal services, establishing sterling friendship and goodwill between the two.　 JMFA members would retain an acquired ability to see many values and behaviours as cultural rather than universal (ethnorelativism) for the two. The Japan Myanmar Friendship Association was founded in 1970 when the Osaka EXPO (World Exposition) was held. Its original name was called "Japan Burma Cultural Association" with about 2,000 people participated (Chairman Dr. Kiyoshi Masaki). The Association was first headquartered in Osaka city. In 1975, Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially approved the Association as a public interest incorporated association. Chairman was Koichi Tsukamoto, founder of Wacoal. In 1997, the Association was renamed the "Japan Myanmar Friendship Association." With the 2012 amendment of public/general incorporated association/foundation laws in Japan, the Association was reborn as a nonprofit general incorporated association (GIA), headquarted in Kyoto. Now, the Association runs its activities mainly in Shinjuku, Tokyo and Osaka for the Western Japan Branch.