An overview of the most important events and developments of the Japanese-Austrian relations
1625: First Austrian in Japan: Christoph Carl Fernberger
1869: Friendship, trade and seafaring contract signed in Tokyo by rear admiral Anton Freiherr von Petz on October 18th
1871: Contract is signed by the Austrian emperor and Japanese tennō
1873: Vienna World’s Fair with Japan as one of the exhibitor countries as part of the Iwakura-Mission
1907: Austrian-Hungarian legation promoted to the rank of embassy, Japan dispatches an embassy to Vienna
1914: Diplomatic relations are put to a halt with the start of the First World War
1935: Formation of the Japanese-Austrian Community in Tokyo by Baron Mitsui Takaharu
1953: Resumption of diplomatic relations
1955: Japan is the first country to recognize Austria’s neutrality on November 15th
1957: New delegations in Tokyo and Vienna get promoted to the rank of embassy
1965: Founding of the Institute of Japanese Studies in Vienna
1999: Austrian Federal President Thomas Klestil visits Japan
2002: Japanese imperial couple visits Japan
2009: 140-year anniversary, state visits of Federal President Heinz Fischer and Prince Akishino and his wife
Text: Alexander Kuhn
