ATHENS, October 2026 — Takaaki Nemoto, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Japan in Greece, has farewelled the country in a moving message in Greek, quoting Constantine Cavafy in a video the embassy posted on Friday.
Nemoto, who also holds the rank of Counsellor, said he was leaving after four years at the embassy. He made the remarks in a 71-second Reel on the embassy’s official Instagram account, @japan_in_greece.
Coverage in Greece widely described the message as particularly moving and heartfelt. Headlines highlighted his fluent Greek and his recitation of Cavafy, as well as his thanks for Greek hospitality, kindness and courtesy.
Reports also noted the graceful way he handed over to his successor. Some coverage contrasted its tone with other recent diplomatic noise, holding it up as a model of politeness and cultural sensitivity.
In the video, Nemoto first thanked the people who had welcomed him during his posting.
“During this period, many Greek friends and colleagues welcomed me warmly. I would like to thank them from the heart for their kindness, courtesy and hospitality.”
Takaaki Nemoto
The Embassy of Japan in Greece shared Takaaki Nemoto’s farewell video on Instagram.
Takaaki Nemoto names successor
Nemoto then named Yoko Maejima as his successor. He described her as “an excellent and gracious colleague of mine, with a deep knowledge of the Greek language.”
Before signing off, he made one request of his Greek audience.
“I would like to ask you to give her the same support and trust with which you honoured me all these years. Be well, all of you. Until we meet again.”
Takaaki Nemoto
His closing words in Greek were “Να είστε όλοι καλά. Καλή αντάμωση.”
In its caption, the embassy said Takaaki Nemoto had worked to further strengthen ties between Japan and Greece during his posting. It described a friendship based on mutual respect, shared experiences and lasting bonds between the two peoples.
As he completes his term, he leaves with deep appreciation for the relationships he built, the embassy said. He is also confident that close ties between the two countries will continue to grow, it said.
Earlier, in March, Takaaki Nemoto represented the embassy at a TIF-Helexpo press conference on Japan’s role as honoured country. Japan later exhibited in Pavilion 13 when the 90th Thessaloniki International Fair opened in September.
Lines from a 1911 poem
The lines Nemoto recited come from Cavafy’s poem “The God Abandons Antony” (“Απολείπειν ο θεός Αντώνιον”), first published in 1911. The Onassis Cavafy Archive holds manuscripts and early editions of the poem.
Cavafy’s original Greek lines, followed by an English translation, read:
“Σαν έτοιμος από καιρό, σα θαρραλέος,
αποχαιρέτα την, την Αλεξάνδρεια που φεύγει.”(“As one long prepared, as one full of courage,
C.P. Cavafy, The God Abandons Antony (1911)
say goodbye to her, to Alexandria that is leaving.”)
“With Cavafy’s verses engraved in my heart, I return to my homeland, Japan,” Takaaki Nemoto said.
The poem takes its title from Plutarch’s life of Mark Antony. In that account, Antony hears an unseen procession leave Alexandria at midnight before his defeat. The procession, Plutarch wrote, signalled that the god Dionysus was abandoning him.
In April, the Onassis Foundation also donated a sculpture of the poet to the Municipality of Athens, Greek City Times reported.
The embassy’s caption also told followers to stay tuned to meet the new members of its team.
Photo: Embassy of Japan in Greece
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