The Portuguese Prime Minister wrapped up his visit to Japan with various engagements in Osaka, following a prior trip to China, including the Macau Special Administrative Region. The visit featured a ride on a bullet train from Tokyo to Osaka.
Upon arrival in Osaka, part of the delegation attended a lunch prepared by two Michelin-starred chefs, Pedro Lemos from Portugal and Yoshida San from Japan. This event was part of a Tourism Portugal initiative promoting Portuguese cuisine using other chef pairings.
The Prime Minister donned a white chef’s jacket and participated in preparing a dish that reinvented the traditional Portuguese stuffed squid.
When asked by journalists about his culinary interests, he mentioned he remains the primary cook at home. Besides being known for his specialty, arroz de cabidela, he shared that he has recently been experimenting with “Brás of almost everything.” He noted with a chuckle, “I like to make the most of leftovers, creating a ‘Brás’ from them. This tendency to save might stem from managing the country’s finances.”
His last day’s agenda highlight was a visit to the Expo Osaka, an attendance originally scheduled for May, rescheduled owing to government resignation and snap elections, now held just a month before the event closes.
Accompanied by his spouse, he toured the Japan and Portugal pavilions—the latter overseen by architect Kengo Kuma and themed “Ocean: Blue Dialogue.” The Portuguese participation, directed by AICEP (Portugal’s Trade & Investment Agency), has attracted 1.8 million visitors, over 10% of the total attendance.
The Portuguese pavilion is a finalist for five global Expo awards, including best mascot for Umi, a hippocampus with a tail design drawing inspiration from Portuguese tiles.
“Portugal today is a modern, technologically advanced, environmentally conscious nation committed to addressing global challenges,” the Prime Minister praised.
In a spontaneous closing speech, he invited his wife, Carla Montenegro, to present a gift from the Association Marinheiros da Esperança, created with children in pediatric wards, to the pavilion. Two children made wooden pieces inspired by Umi from scrap ash wood, which he brought from Lisbon, feeling moved during the presentation.
“The hope and encouragement from these children inspire us to wish them recovery and a chance to contribute to our future,” he stated.
The party then ascended to a terrace, overlooking the Expo Osaka’s activity, ending the day with performances of Portuguese guitar by Tumi, a musician and Fado Museum student from Lisbon.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to return to Lisbon later today, with arrival anticipated by late Saturday morning.
