A commemorative plaque marking one of Monaco’s most unusual diplomatic gifts has been unveiled in Osaka, formalising the donation of a 500-year-old olive tree from Prince Albert II to the Japanese city.
The tree, presented by the Prince to the Mayor of Osaka on Monaco National Day at Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai, has been planted in Tsurumi Ryokuchi Park, where it will remain as a lasting symbol of the relationship between the Principality and Japan.
The unveiling ceremony was attended by Kristina Djordjevic, Deputy Commissioner General of Monaco’s Pavilion at Expo 2025, and by Tomonori Misono, Director General of the Osaka World Expo Promotion Bureau, representing the city of Osaka.
An olive tree of this age carries considerable symbolic weight — associated across cultures with peace, longevity and cooperation between peoples. That Monaco chose such a gift, rather than a conventional diplomatic offering, reflects the particular character of the relationship the Principality has sought to cultivate with Japan over recent years.
The plaque unveiling marks the latest step in the development of ties between Monaco and Osaka, and ensures that the tree’s origins and meaning are permanently recorded at its new home in one of the city’s most visited public parks.
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Photo source: Government communications department