ISLAMABAD: Ambassador of Japan Hiroshi Inomata highlighted the importance of educating Pakistan`s large youth population.

`Failure to do so would make this opportunity, a drawback,` he said.

The ambassador was giving a public talk titled `Pakistan Japan Relations`, organised by the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) on Tuesday.

Japan has a population of 127 million and with a GDP of $4,601 it is the world`s third largest economy. The diplomatic ties between Pakistan and Japan date back to 1952.

AmbassadorInomata saidPakistan is an economic partner of Japan in textile with Pakistan`s industry importing machinery from Japan and exporting textile and chemical products.

`In the 1960s and 70s, the balance of trade was in Pakistan`s favour but over the last two decades, it has tilted in favour of Japan. Moreover, Japanese companies have invested in Pakistan`s automobile industry,` he said.

Pakistani mangoes, however, are much loved in Japan and are imported in large quantities, he said.

The ambassador said Pakistan came into being in the month of August. This month is also very important for Japan as nuclearbombs were dropped on Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during this month in 1945. The Second World War also ended on August 15, he said.

Since then, the ambassador said, Japan has been working for the eradication of nuclear weapons from the world.

`A number of Pakistani leaders have visited Japan in the past but for a decade no Japanese prime minister has visited Pakistan and I am worle ing towards arranging this,` he said.

Japanese companies, he said, have been doing business in this region for almost a century, with the first Japanese company setting up shop in Karachi in the 1920s.

Turning the discussion towards culture, the ambassador said almost 50 per cent people in Japan are Buddhist and have a desire of visiting religious sites in Pakistan, in places such as Taxila.

`Pakistan`s north is beautiful and if security is improved, tourism potential could be tapped. Some Japanese students have come to Pakistan to study the local culture, he said.

Participants were told that parliamentary friendship groups also keep political ties, between the two countries, alive. Similarly, Pakistan and Japan cooperate in the field of defence with more than 10 generals and officers of other ranks sent to Japan, each year.