Ambassador Andreas Baum paid his first visit to Oita last weekend, on November 20 and 21, accompanied by Consul Felix Moesner and a delegation of the Swiss Embassy on the occasion of the Oita International Wheelchair Marathon. A Swiss Fair was taking place on this occasion, to mark the 40th Anniversary of the Marathon and celebrate the success of the training camp of the Swiss Paralympic Athletics Team in Oita ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games this summer.
Swiss fairs have been held every year in Oita since 2018, when the city chose Switzerland as partner in the framework of the Host Town Initiative. This year's event featured addresses by Mayor of Oita, Mr. Kiichiro Sato, Chairman of the Japan-Switzerland Parliamentary Friendship Group, Parliamentarian Seishiro Eto and Vice President of the Argerich Foundation for the Promotion of the Arts, Ms. Kyoko Ito.
Ambassador Andreas Baum, who delivered remarks at the Fair and at the Opening Ceremony for the Marathon, had a chance to exchange with all these important stakeholders, in addition to Governor of Oita Prefecture, Mr. Katsusada Hirose whom he joined for the start of the Marathon. On all occasions, Ambassador Baum highlighted the importance of Oita in the Japan-Swiss relations, thanked the City and Prefecture for welcoming the Swiss Paralympic Athletics Team, and commented on the excellent cooperation in other fields such as culture, education and people-to-people relations. During their courtesy call with Mayor Kiichiro Sato, Ambassador Baum and Consul Moesner also evoked possible collaborations in the fields of technological innovation and energy.
This year, the Swiss fair featured an introduction of the newly established Consulate of Switzerland in Osaka, including a Swissnex location, by Consul Felix Moesner. There were also a booth dedicated to Swiss design goods with a modern touch and performances by musicians nominated by the Argerich Arts Foundation.
At the Marathon, Marcel “Swiss Silver Bullet” Hug set a new world record time of 1 hour 17 minutes and 47 seconds, breaking the 22 year old record established in 1999 in Oita by another Swiss legendary athlete, Heinz Frei (1 hour 20 minutes and 14 seconds). It was his ninth win and the third consecutive win in Oita. Tomoki Suzuki finished in second place with a new Japanese record of 1 hour 18 minutes 37 seconds. In the women's full marathon, Tsubasa Kina won for the third time.
Oita staged the world’s first wheelchair marathon in 1981 to commemorate the International Year of Disabled Persons. The inaugural race took place at the suggestion of Dr. Yutaka Nakamura, known as the father of the Japanese Paralympics.
This event has been a catalyst for the establishment of a special relationship between Oita and Switzerland. Swiss athletes such as Heinz Frei, Manuela Schär, and Marcel Hug have participated in the marathon for decades, and have made remarkable performance, achieving 29 gold medals combined.
