A Japanese diplomat has captured attention in Greece after introducing herself in fluent Greek, declaring that her return to Athens feels like coming home.
Yoko Maejima, the newly appointed deputy head of mission at the Embassy of Japan in Athens, shared the heartfelt message in a video published on the embassy’s official Instagram account.
Her words, “I feel as though I have returned home”, reflect a relationship with Greece that stretches back more than three decades.
From Thessaloniki and Corfu to Athens
Maejima’s connection with Greece began in the late 1980s, when she started learning the Greek language and spent time in Thessaloniki and Corfu.
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Her professional career subsequently brought her to Athens, where she served as cultural attaché at the Japanese Embassy between 1992 and 1995.
She returned to Greece in 2013, taking up the position of first secretary and head of the embassy’s Political Affairs Section. She remained in the role until 2021.
From 2021 to 2025, Maejima served as deputy head of the Japanese Embassy in Cyprus, maintaining her professional ties with the wider Greek-speaking region.
Her latest appointment brings her back to Athens, where she will have another opportunity to contribute to relations between Japan and Greece.
A Personal Connection Beyond Diplomacy
Maejima’s story highlights the role language and cultural understanding can play in building lasting relationships between countries.
Her ability to communicate directly with Greeks in their own language, combined with her long professional history in the region, offers a personal dimension to her new diplomatic posting.
Her return also comes as Greece and Japan continue to develop their longstanding friendship through diplomatic, cultural and economic cooperation.
The embassy’s video has provided a warm introduction to the Greek public, with Maejima making clear that her relationship with the country extends well beyond her official duties.
Source: Embassy of Japan in Greece
