Cuernavaca welcomed the Japanese Ambassador to Mexico, Kozo Honsei, for the second time in 2025. This meeting further strengthens the ties of cooperation that have united both communities for nearly five decades, ties further solidified through sister city agreements with Ōtaki and Minoh, which have fostered ongoing cultural, educational, and diplomatic exchanges. The visit, held at the Cuernavaca City Museum (MuCiC), reaffirmed the international interest that the capital of Morelos has generated and its historical connection with Japan.
Mayor José Luis Urióstegui Salgado welcomed the diplomat and his wife, María Mercedes Mediavilla Canal, with whom he toured the exhibition “Jorge Cázares Campos: I Lived in Paradise” and the display of the 5th Handicrafts Competition, featuring the work of 70 artisans. During the tour, they greeted Mariana Ceballos Cañedo and Daniel Santi Aldama Martínez, winners of first and third place, respectively, in the Pottery category of the competition organized by the Cuernavaca City Council.
The visit included members of the Cuernavaca Council of Culture and the Arts and the Council of Chroniclers, who highlighted the role of the MuCiC (Museum of Contemporary Art of Cuernavaca) as a space for promoting local artistic work and keeping the city’s cultural identity alive. The building, which formerly housed the City Hall, has become a central meeting point for the artistic community and for visitors to the capital.
As part of their agenda, the ambassador and the mayor toured the pavilions of the Sabor es Morelos 2025 festival, where they observed the culinary offerings that have boosted tourism to the city in recent years. Later, they visited the Cuernavaca Cathedral, one of the most iconic landmarks in the historic center.
Councilwoman Erika Lastra Jaimes, members of the municipal cabinet, and staff from various departments participated in the event. This is the ambassador’s second visit to Cuernavaca this year, following his presence in September for the inauguration of the Japanese floral art exhibition, Ikebana, held in collaboration with Ikebana Morelos–Mexico.
Source: lajornadamorelos
