The first encounters were food and anime. I liked “Captain Tsubasa” and “Saint Seiya.” However, the real face-to-face encounter was when I arrived here and I finally got to know the real Japan. It was an epiphany, the discovery of a new good friend.

My motto is “Always leave a place better than you found it.” This is a lesson for life that my father took from Robert Baden-Powell. It applies perfectly to my mission as a diplomat.

Every achievement is the result of a team effort. I am very happy to have contributed to enhancing air connectivity between Mexico and Japan, and to be deeply involved in the publication of a much-needed book about diplomatic relations between both countries. In Honduras, my previous post, my team helped me modernize the Consular Section to serve more efficiently Mexicans and Hondurans. We created a completely new office!

I will give you one example — recently, Ambassador Melba Pria commissioned me to be in charge of the Olympic Games next year. Hence, my goal here is to seize this opportunity to promote Mexico during the two months that Tokyo will be the center of the world. I also want to make the lives of the Mexican Olympic Committee and the national sporting authorities easier, so they can focus on winning medals!

I can give you four. First, be observant. In Japan, there is a deep meaning behind the details. Being attentive will help anybody to better understand this admirable country. Second, make the time to travel around Japan as much as possible. Third, walk with a camera in hand. Many beautiful places are hidden, one can only discover them by walking. Finally, eat. I can guarantee you that even the smallest place has delicious food and, perhaps, a fantastic ancestral story.