Salvador Illa is negotiating a direct Barcelona-Tokyo flight, taking advantage of his tour of Japan.

TokyoJapan is the destination of the first intercontinental trip for the President of the Generalitat (Catalan government), Salvador Illa. The Catalan leader arrives in Tokyo this Monday to begin a week-long tour of four Japanese cities, culminating in a two-day visit to South Korea. The visit will take place at the Osaka International Airport from May 27 to June 1. The political profile of the trip, however, will be lower: initially, if there are no surprises, he is only scheduled to meet with the Vice Governor of Tokyo, the Mayor of Osaka, and the Governor of Kyoto. This Monday, he met with the Vice Governor of Tokyo, Akiko Matsumoto, with whom he discussed the opening of a direct flight between Barcelona and Kyoto.

Since the first investment of Japanese capital in Catalonia, with the Sanyo plant opened in 1969, the Government has positioned Japan as a priority partner in foreign action, to the point that it is the only country that, since 2009, has had a specific plan to regulate its cooperation with the Generalitat (Catalan Government), the Japan Plan. It is also the seventh largest investor in Catalonia, with 700 million in the last four years, and the second largest exporter of Catalan companies in Asia, behind only China, with exports exceeding 1 billion. "The objective of the trip is not to announce any specific investment, but rather to emphasize the strengthening of these relations," explained Illa in his first address to the media from the country. The government of Pere Aragonès opened a delegation in Tokyo in 2023, as part of the executive's commitment to boosting the Generalitat's activity in Asia.

The other major objective of the trip, according to the Catalan government, is to "normalize Catalonia's presence in the world" and take advantage of the opportunity to promote Catalan culture abroad. This is a point on which the Socialists had expressed reluctance before landing at the Palau de la Generalitat, when they even raised the need to close some of the 21 branches the Generalitat has abroad. But in the investiture pact with the ERC, they agreed to maintain them and even increase them. Isla's trip to Japan follows her visit to Italy. to take over the leadership of the Quatre MotorBrussels, which was the president's first international trip.

The direct Barcelona-Tokyo flight is pending

Although Japan has been a key partner in Catalonia's trade relations since the 1970s, Donald Trump's tariff war and changes in the geopolitical landscape have further sparked the PSC government's interest in Japan. Sources within the Catalan government point out that, given the current "moment of change" in the world, it is a "relevant hub" that must not be lost sight of. In this context, Illa wants to open new markets and support the 26 Catalan companies that already have a subsidiary.

In fact, this was the first thing the president did upon landing in Tokyo this Monday (where there are seven more hours): meet with executives from around twenty Catalan companies such as Codorniu, Grifols, Ficosa, Torres, BonÀrea, Freixenet, and Desigual. It was organized in collaboration with the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber of Commerce in Spain. The food sector is now the most important, but there is significant growth in the pharmaceutical, energy, and technology sectors. Furthermore, 55% of Japanese companies with a presence in the state are based in Catalonia. With the aim of promoting these investments, Illa explained that the Generalitat is working closely with Aena, the city council, and the Chamber of Commerce to open a direct Barcelona-Tokyo line—the work has been underway since 2008. "Given the volume of passengers and interest, we believe the conditions are right," Illa stated, separating this initiative from the possible expansion of El Prat Airport. For his part, the president of the Catalan Chamber of Commerce, Josep Santacreu, highlighted the "global need" to strengthen trade relations with Japan and to have the support of the Presidency of the Generalitat.

The opening of this line, with no date set, was one of the topics Illa discussed with the Vice Governor of Tokyo, Akiko Matsumoto, with whom he met this Monday. Also in the capital, Illa will visit a Joan Miró exhibition at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Art and attend a dinner for the World Year of Catalan Gastronomy, hosted by Carme Ruscalleda and Joan Roca.

Expo Universal

Continuing with his economic agenda, Illa will meet with Japanese business leaders on Tuesday and with NTT Data, the Japanese company with the largest workforce in Catalonia. He will close the day with a meeting with representatives of some of the 835 Catalans living in Japan, before traveling the following day to Osaka to inaugurate the Catalan Week of the World Expo in the Spanish pavilion, alongside the Minister of the European Union and Foreign Affairs, Jaume Duch. Under the slogan "Designing the society of the future for our lives," the Expo will run until October and is expected to attract some 28 million visitors. A meeting between Isla and the mayor of Osaka is also planned.

The trip will continue on Thursday with a series of meetings in the field of research and investigation. In Kobe, the president will visit the Riken Center for Computational Science, which maintains ties with the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, as well as a biomedical innovation cluster. He will hold a meeting with the governor of Kyoto before bidding farewell to the country and moving on to the final stop: Seoul.

Following in the footsteps of Aragonès

In the Korean capital, President Illa will follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, Pere Aragonès, which the Delegation of the Generalitat inaugurated in 2023, the first in Asia. Just as the Republican did, Isla will meet with Lotte, The battery component manufacturer is still waiting to unblock the landing in Mont-roig del Camp. of a factory that has encountered opposition from environmental organizations, who have taken their urban planning procedures to court. Also on the economic front, Isla will meet with Seegene, a leading company in medical diagnostic technology, and Werfen, a leading provider of medical supplies.