On May 6, 2025, Ms. Keiko Furuta, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Republic of Tajikistan, and Mrs. Matlubakhon Sattoriyon, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Tajikistan, attended the handover ceremony of equipment within the framework of "The Project for the Improvement of Equipment for Book Preservation, Digitization and Utilization of Book House of Tajikistan", implemented by JICA and supported through the Grant Aid Scheme of the Government of Japan, says press release issued by Japan’s Embassy in Dushanbe.
The Government of Japan allocated 83.8 million Japanese Yen (approximately USD 600,000) for the implementation of the project.
The primary objective of the project is to enhance both access to and the quality of public services offered by the Book House of Tajikistan. By improving the storage conditions for books and documents and providing advanced digitization equipment, the initiative contributes to the preservation, utilization, and transmission of the country’s rich cultural heritage, while also promoting international cultural exchange.
As part of the project, a comprehensive set of equipment was procured and installed, including large and small air conditioners, fire alarm systems, security cameras, high-resolution scanners for books, newspapers, and magazines, computers, servers, printers, digital cameras, and furniture for digitization and reading rooms. In total, over 100 pieces of modern equipment were delivered to upgrade the Book House’s infrastructure.
Speaking at the ceremony, Ambassador Furuta expressed confidence that the equipment provided by Japan would be meaningfully used to further study Tajikistan’s centuries-old history, traditions, and culture.
This project stands as a testament to the strong and enduring partnership between Japan and Tajikistan and underscores both nations’ commitment to preserving cultural assets for future generations.
In respect of the relations between Japan and Tajikistan, in February this year, the two countries celebrated the 33rd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. In these years, bilateral relations have always been on a friendly path of development. Japan has been cooperating with Tajikistan for more than 30 years to support its sustainable development in a wide range of sectors, including water, health and medical services, education, energy, transport, and border management. The cumulative amount of Japanese grant aid and technical cooperation to Tajikistan up to 2024 reached approximately 540 million US dollars.
Japan and Tajikistan cooperate within the framework of the “Central Asia + Japan” Dialogue as well. Japan pioneered this “C5+1” framework in 2004 ahead of other partners, and for 20 years it has achieved results also through practical cooperation, not only dialogues in various formats including the Foreign Ministers’ meetings. Furthermore, the first "Central Asia + Japan" Dialogue Summit meeting is planned to be held with the aim of further developing and deepening cooperation.
