Global powers China, the United States and the European Union are fiercely competing to expand their market share in Africa — the world's last major economic frontier.
Japan has long been a big supporter of African nations and in 1993 launched the Tokyo International Conference on African Development.
More than 20 years after its inception, this year's TICAD, the sixth, will be held in Africa for the first time, on Aug. 27 and 28.