Strengthening Ties Between Sapporo and Spain at STEP

Today, we had the great honor of welcoming the Ambassador of Spain to Japan, the Spanish Economic and Commercial Counsellor and Head of Office, and the president of a famous Hokkaido-based convenience store chain—a company we are deeply proud of here in Hokkaido, who also serves as the Honorary Consul of Spain in Sapporo—to Sapporo Transnational Expansion and Partnership (STEP).

Although our time together was brief, we were truly encouraged by their strong interest in our presentation and the thoughtful questions they shared with us. We agreed to continue our dialogue later today at this afternoon’s seminar, which we are now on our way to attend 🎉

In recent years, the relationship between Sapporo and Spain has been steadily deepening, particularly through the world of film. One inspiring example is the collaboration between the Hokkaido Food Film Festival (HFFF) in Sapporo 🇯🇵 and the San Sebastián International Film Festival in Spain. Through this partnership, both cities are working to build distinctive global brands, foster international exchange, and promote tourism and culture—connecting people through the shared universal languages of food 🍽️ and cinema 🎥.

We are genuinely excited to see how this meaningful bond between our regions will continue to grow in the years ahead.

Our heartfelt thanks go to the dedicated team at the City of Sapporo, whose continued efforts make it possible to cultivate such valuable relationships and partnerships.