Aside from strengthening the ties between Tokyo and Manila, it looks like Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koshikawa Kazuhiko is turning his tour of duty into a food and culture trip as well.
In a Twitter post, Kazuhiko said he tried the Philippines' famous buko pie (coconut pie) during his recent trip to Laguna.
“Tried a traditional Filipino #BukoPie - creamy filling made with young coconut meat enclosed in a flaky pie crust! Tastes like absolute tropical paradise!” he said.
“I will always remember my visit to Laguna with this heavenly food experience,” the envoy added.
He then posted a photo of a slice of the coconut pie showing the flaky crust and custard-like filling with coconut meat.
This is not the first time Kazuhiko tried Filipino dishes.
In December, the Japanese ambassador posted a photo of him and his wife trying a famous food chain’s fried chicken for the first time.
He said that Jollibee’s chicken was on one of his must-try list.
A couple of weeks ago, Kazuhiko also tweeted about his experience tasting bulalo—beef shank soup that Filipinos eat with rice—and even called himself a “bulalo guy.”
Kazuhiko arrived in the country last November. He previously served as the executive senior vice president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the ambassador to Spain from 2014 to 2016 and to Angola from 2008 to 2011.