Japan's commitment to overseas giving

Your front-page article (Two months on, Japan starts £143bn recovery, 12 May) is right to highlight the international community's tremendous compassion and generosity in supporting the victims of Japan's earthquake. The reported $2.2bn received by the Japanese Red Cross is testament to that.

You also point out that the government of Japan has consistently been one of the largest aid donors in the world. While it is true that the task of rebuilding and rehabilitating disaster-affected regions is a momentous one which demands significant resources, Japan's government is taking every step to ensure its own aid commitment to the world's most vulnerable will be only minimally affected. On 1 May, the Japanese foreign minister expressed his firm determination to continue to implement the international commitments made by Japan, including pledges made to Africa.

It has now been confirmed that there will be no reduction in Japan's bilateral aid commitments. And, while a reduction in Japan's contribution to multilateral aid programmes is likely to occur (around US $337m) in this financial year only, such multilateral organisations possess mechanisms to buffer the direct impact of any shortfalls on the aid recipients.

Despite difficult times, the aid arm of the Japanese government, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, expects to be able to deliver aid on a similar level to past years – around US $10bn – making it the world's largest bilateral development aid agency. Japan aims to remain, as you point out, "one of the world's most generous aid donors".

Kimiaki Jin

Chief representative, Japan International Cooperation Agency, UK office

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