Spreading One Love
Jamaican Ambassador Shorna-Kay Richards on the J–J partnership, gender equality and cultural diplomacy.
In Japan, one’s 60th birthday is known as kanreki, a milestone marking the completion of five cycles of the Chinese zodiac.
It’s also a time for rebirth, and this year marks the 60th anniversary of ties between Japan and Jamaica, a Caribbean nation looking to redefine itself as a republic.
The Club will celebrate those ties on June 15 with a gala kicked off by Jamaican Ambassador to Japan Shorna-Kay Richards. Ahead of the exciting night, Richards spoke to INTOUCH about her role as a bridge between the two countries.
Though some 13,000 kilometers apart, Japan and Jamaica share commonalities besides respect for democracy and the rule of law. They are both mountainous island nations located off larger continental economic powers; they punch far above their weight in the cultural sphere; and their envoys work next to each other under the United Nations’ alphabetical seating. The J–J partnership, as it’s called, encompasses everything from diplomatic, economic and cultural exchanges to Jamaicans teaching English in Japan, as well as official development assistance (ODA) provided by Japan to Jamaica. It’s also visible in everyday things like Japanese cars on the streets of Kingston and Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee in java lovers’ cups in Tokyo.
“As maritime nations, we share similar challenges—we both have hurricanes, typhoons and earthquakes,” says Richards. “Japan understands the vulnerabilities of small island states and our tomodachi [friends] relationship is based on that. Japan’s ODA has also been very strong and vibrant. We have close cultural cooperation and we’re trying to really increase our economic cooperation.”
Born in Westmoreland, Jamaica’s westernmost parish, Richards joined the Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Ministry in 1994 and has spent 30 years in the foreign service, specializing in disarmament and international security. She first came to Japan in 2005 as a United Nations Disarmament Fellow to meet representatives of hibakusha, or survivors of the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. She pledged to make their quest for disarmament heard in the UN.
In addition to being concurrently ambassador to Japan, Australia, Indonesia, South Korea, New Zealand and the Philippines since 2020, Richards serves as chair of the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters at the invitation of Izumi Nakamitsu, the UN’s high representative for disarmament affairs.
The Iwami High School jazz band performed Bob Marley tunes at the Jamaican Embassy’s 60th-anniversary reception on February 8.
On top of that workload, Richards devotes much of her time to promoting Jamaican culture in Japan, discussing reggae on Japanese radio and serving Jamaican specialties such as jerk chicken and her Ambassador’s Rum Punch. While the exact recipe of that sweet, refreshing concoction is a closely guarded secret, Members will have a chance to enjoy it at the gala.
Richards is a passionate gardener, and the backyard of her official residence in Shinagawa explodes with colorful bougainvillea, azaleas and tulips. She’s also a fan of bonseki, the art of creating temporary landscapes on lacquer trays using sand and pebbles. The Japanese appreciation of impermanence is one of the many aspects of Japanese culture the ambassador loves.
Gender equality is another area of great importance to Richards. In 2022, she held an exhibition at the embassy entitled “Jamaican Women Holding Up More Than Half the Sky” that introduced prominent women from her country. While Japan ranks 125th out of 146 nations in the World Economic Forum’s 2023 report on gender equality, women in 24th-ranked Jamaica make up 65 percent of public sector workers and lead multiple government ministries as well as the military. Richards is hopeful that the status of Japanese women will improve.
“We have been striving for a society where women play an equal role with men,” she says, “a society where both genders are contributing is very important. Japanese women are so well educated and well trained. I think they should be allowed to continue to rise through the ranks and have higher leadership roles.”
In May, Richards was promoting the Japan premiere of One Love, a biopic about reggae superstar Bob Marley starring British actor Kingsley Ben-Adir. Prior to that, she held a reception for Monty Alexander, a jazz piano legend from Jamaica who dazzled audiences at Blue Note Tokyo ahead of his 80th birthday in June.
“Cultural diplomacy has been my calling card,” says Richards. “Even though we’re a tiny island of 2.9 million people, we’re known as a cultural super state. It has recognition in Japan, whether it’s Usain Bolt, Blue Mountain Coffee or reggae music.”
The Embassy Night: One Love gala in the New York Ballroom will feature the pulsating rhythms of a reggae band and the enchanting sounds of a steel drum band. Members can also explore the island’s art and exciting tourism destinations. Jamaican-Japanese chef Angelee Koshiishi, who trained at the renowned Le Cordon Bleu institute in Paris, will prepare a full-course Jamaican menu.
“Participants will experience Jamaican culture through their five senses with the food and the atmosphere,” says Richards. “But there’s also the sixth sense. You can’t put a name to it, but you literally feel it. That’s what I want. Bob Marley called it good vibrations. With that spirit, through the music, the food and our rums, I think people will be happy for a long time to come.”
Embassy Nights: One Love
June 15 | 5:30–10pm
Words: Tim Hornyak
Top Image of Ambassador Shorna-Kay Richard: Kayo Yamawaki
