Japan is stepping up economic engagement with Ghana as Tokyo sends a 50 member business delegation to Accra this week for a trade and investment forum aimed at expanding commercial ties between the two countries.
The Ghana Japan Business and Investment Forum is scheduled for January 15, 2026, with the Japanese delegation expected in Accra from January 14 to 16. The mission follows President John Dramani Mahama’s participation in the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) in August 2025, where over 100 Japanese companies attended a Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) presidential forum in Yokohama.
Japanese Ambassador to Ghana Hiroshi Yoshimoto met officials at the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry in recent days ahead of the forum. The meeting focused on assessing Ghana’s readiness to host the delegation and aligning institutional arrangements to ensure productive business engagements, according to officials familiar with the discussions.
Madam Junko Masuda, First Secretary and Head of Economic and Development Cooperation at the Japanese Embassy in Ghana, earlier announced the mission during a preparatory meeting in Accra on September 30, 2025. She explained that the delegation will engage in bilateral meetings with government agencies and private sector players across multiple sectors.
Noah Tumfo, Chief Director at the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, who received preparatory delegations on behalf of Sector Minister Elizabeth Ofosu Adjare, said Ghana is ready to work closely with Japanese counterparts to ensure a successful forum and smooth engagements during the visit.
Our doors are open to facilitate business to business interactions, joint investment projects and economic diplomacy that will deliver tangible benefits to our people, Tumfo stated. The Ministry and its agencies are prepared to provide the necessary support to ensure fruitful engagements with the delegation.
Beyond the main forum, the Japanese delegation is expected to hold bilateral meetings across several sectors of the Ghanaian economy, including trade, agribusiness, transport, energy, logistics and communications. The discussions aim to identify new investment opportunities and partnerships as Ghana looks to attract foreign capital to support growth and industrial development.
During TICAD 9, Japan indicated it was considering investing $1.5 billion in Africa, with Ghana identified as a main beneficiary. The January delegation represents Japanese firms scouting where specific portions of that capital might land most productively.
Japan has maintained strategic partnerships with Ghana in energy, health and education for years through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), but investment flows have not matched the diplomatic warmth of bilateral relations. The forum represents a platform for companies from both countries to build partnerships, attract capital and strengthen trade links.
Ghana’s challenge will be demonstrating that its improving macroeconomic indicators including single digit inflation, stable currency and declining interest rates represent durable improvements rather than temporary stabilization. The country’s inflation rate fell to 5.4 percent in December 2025 from 23.8 percent a year earlier, while gross international reserves climbed to $13.8 billion, the highest in Ghana’s history.
For Ghana, attracting Japanese investment carries strategic value beyond capital inflows. Japanese companies bring manufacturing expertise, quality control standards and long term operational perspectives that could upgrade local industries. They are also viewed as less likely than some other foreign investors to engage in exploitative labor practices or environmental shortcuts that generate political backlash.
Bilateral trade between the two countries has grown steadily, particularly in machinery, electronics and processed foods. Japan ranks among Ghana’s top development partners in Asia. The visit is expected to pave the way for Japanese investments in Ghana’s industrial transformation agenda, in line with government priorities.
The January forum’s success will be measured not by how many meetings occur or memorandums of understanding get signed, but by whether Japanese companies commit actual capital to specific projects with clear timelines. Ghana has hosted countless investment delegations that generated enthusiasm but minimal follow through.
What might differentiate this mission is timing. Ghana’s economy is emerging from crisis with improving fundamentals, President Mahama has prioritized foreign investment, and Japan is looking to diversify its African engagement beyond traditional partners. If successful, the mission could unlock hundreds of millions of dollars in investments and open new chapters in Ghana Japan economic cooperation.
Japan is among Ghana’s key development partners, with growing private sector interest in infrastructure, manufacturing and technology as Accra seeks to position itself as a regional investment hub in West Africa. The three day visit provides an opportunity for both sides to translate diplomatic goodwill into concrete commercial partnerships.
