Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is undertaking an official visit to Japan this week, marking a significant milestone in relations between the Central Asian nation and Tokyo as both countries seek to expand cooperation beyond traditional trade into technology, green energy, and strategic resource partnerships.
The visit, which includes participation in the Central Asia-Japan Summit, comes as bilateral relations evolve from a primarily commodities-based relationship into a more sophisticated partnership spanning critical minerals, infrastructure development, and technological collaboration.
Economic Foundation
Trade between Kazakhstan and Japan reached $1.8 billion in 2024, with the first nine months of this year recording $1.3 billion in bilateral commerce. While ferroalloys continue to dominate Kazakh exports at approximately 95% of the export basket, diversification is gradually taking place through increased shipments of agricultural products, hydrogen, inert gases, and copper.
Japanese imports to Kazakhstan remain focused on automobiles and high-technology equipment, including generators, electronic systems, and industrial machinery.
Over the past two decades, Japanese companies have invested $9 billion in Kazakhstan across sectors including oil and gas, metallurgy, engineering, logistics, and healthcare. According to Kazakhstan’s National Bank, foreign direct investment from Japan exceeded $468 million in 2024, with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation announcing plans for an additional $200 million in investments.
More than 60 Japanese companies currently operate in Kazakhstan, with approximately 100 enterprises involving Japanese participation.
Strategic Resource Interests
Analysts note that Kazakhstan’s importance to Japan extends beyond conventional trade. Alibek Tazhibayev, Director of the Center for Analytical Research “Eurasian Monitoring,” describes Kazakhstan as a key element in Tokyo’s Eurasian risk diversification strategy.
“At the energy and resource level, the focus is on reliable access to uranium and critical minerals,” Tazhibayev said. Kazakhstan supplies a significant portion of the global uranium market and is viewed as an important partner as Japan revives its nuclear energy sector.
The partnership in rare-earth metals has become particularly significant as Japan seeks to reduce dependence on Chinese supplies for sensitive industries including electronics, electric vehicles, and precision engineering.
“The potential for cooperation is gradually shifting from a model of raw materials in exchange for equipment toward the creation of joint value chains,” Tazhibayev explained, noting involvement from Japan’s JOGMEC in not only extraction but also ore processing and enrichment technologies.
Transport and Geopolitical Positioning
From a geoeconomic perspective, Kazakhstan serves as Japan’s gateway to Central Asia and a transit hub to Europe. The Trans-Caspian route passing through Kazakhstan is regarded in Tokyo as a reliable alternative to northern logistics corridors that have faced instability.
“Astana’s political influence, its role as a regional leader, and its ability to coordinate Central Asian positions in dialogue with the G7 make Kazakhstan an effective ‘balancer’ in Japan’s relations with China and Russia,” Tazhibayev said.
Direct flights between Kazakhstan and Japan are planned to launch next year, which experts suggest will accelerate business interactions by enabling shorter travel times for executives.
Green Energy and Technology Cooperation
Emerging areas of collaboration include renewable energy and green transformation. Kazakhstan is positioning itself as a regional hub for testing Japanese technologies in wind, solar, hydrogen solutions, and carbon management.
“Kazakhstan’s vast territories, high wind and solar potential, and commitment to decarbonizing the economy make Astana an ideal location for pilot projects that can later be scaled in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and other neighboring countries,” Tazhibayev noted.
Current Japanese investments include projects with FUJIFILM for mobile medical complexes, collaboration with Fitech to localize production of fireproof materials, and agreements between Kazakhmys and Hitachi Construction Machinery for equipment supply. A recent agreement between Samruk-Kazyna Construction and Mitsui & Co. Ltd. aims to introduce earthquake-resistant construction technologies to Kazakhstan.
Cultural and Historical Ties
Beyond economics, the relationship carries significant cultural and humanitarian dimensions. Both nations share a historical concern with nuclear issues—the Semipalatinsk Test Site in Kazakhstan and the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki form a basis for dialogue on nuclear security.
Japan has been a co-sponsor of UN resolutions on the Semipalatinsk region and has conducted joint research with Kazakhstan on the consequences of nuclear testing since 1998. Close cooperation exists between medical and public institutions in Semey, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki, with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) participating in research and expertise exchange.
Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa played a defining role in shaping Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, through his master plan based on a philosophy of symbiosis. His designs included the international airport and the conceptual Millennium Axis that links key parts of the city.
Regional Dialogue Format
Japan initiated the Central Asia + Japan (C5+1) dialogue format in 2004, predating similar platforms established by the United States, European Union, and other partners. International relations expert Iskander Akylbayev noted that Japan’s dialogue remains “the earliest and one of the most consistent” of approximately 11 such formats now operating in the region.
The Central Asia-Japan Summit was originally scheduled for August 2024 in Kazakhstan but was postponed due to an earthquake warning in Japan.
Diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Japan were established on January 26, 1992, with Japan opening its embassy in Kazakhstan in 1993 and Kazakhstan reciprocating in 1996. President Tokayev’s visit runs from December 18-20, 2025.
Source: https://modernaitoday.com/kazakhstans-president-visits-japan-as-nations-deepen-strategic-ties/
