Ambassador’s Visit to Fukuoka and Nagasaki Prefectures and presentation of the Czech Crystal Cup to the Best Japanese Runner at the Fukuoka International Marathon
10.12.2025 / 07:50 | Aktualizováno: 11.12.2025 / 02:27
From December 7 to 9, 2025, the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Japan, Mr. Martin Klučar, visited the city of Fukuoka and Nagasaki to hold talks with city and prefecture officials. He also presented a Czech crystal cup to the best Japanese runner at the Fukuoka International Marathon.
On the first day of the trip, the Ambassador met with the Governor of Fukuoka Prefecture, Mr. Seitaro Hattori. Following the meeting with prefecture officials, the Ambassador, together with the Governor, attended the Fukuoka International Marathon, which is the third oldest marathon in Japan and part of the prestigious IAAF Gold Label Road Races series.
Every year since 1970, the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Tokyo has presented the prestigious "Czech Ambassador’s Prize" crystal cup to the fastest Japanese runner. This tradition was established to honor the legendary Czech long-distance runner Pavel Kantorek, who participated in the marathon six times between 1957 and 1962, and even won it in 1961.
This year, the cup was presented by Ambassador Martin Klučar to Yusuke Nishiyama, who finished second overall and became the top domestic runner with a time of 2:07:56. The overall winner of this year's race was Ethiopian long-distance runner Bayelign Yegzaw, who crossed the finish line in a time of 2:07:51.
On Monday, December 8, the program moved to Nagasaki. The Ambassador honored the memory of the atomic bomb victims by laying flowers at the Peace Park near the "Joy of Life" statue. This work, donated to the city by Czechoslovakia in 1980, was created by academic sculptor Jan Hána. The statue symbolizes a mother lifting her child toward the sun and remains a strong message of hope and vitality. This was followed by a tour of the Atomic Bomb Museum and signing of its guestbook.
The conclusion of the trip was dedicated to discussions on the future and science. After meeting with the Mayor of Nagasaki, Mr. Shiro Suzuki, the Ambassador visited the Research Center for Nuclear Weapons Abolition (RECNA) at Nagasaki University, where he spoke with Director Fumihiko Yoshida, Deputy Director Kawai and Assoc. Prof. Compelo and exchanged views on future approaches towards nuclear weapons abolition. The trip concluded with a visit to the Nagasaki Carbon Neutral Park, where the Czech delegation was introduced to the latest technologies in ammonia combustion, hydrogen production, and CO2 capture.
