Abstract
In 1989, President of the European Commission, Jacques Delors, complained, when visiting Prime Minister Kaifu Toshiki, about the lack of political visibility in their relationship. Traditionally, EU-Japan relationship has always been based on economic grounds, mainly trade and investment, which really took off in the late 80s, and early 90s. They have always experienced hostility because of the trade imbalances that benefited Japan, and the protectionist reflexes of both sides. On the contrary, as Jacques Delors pointed out, the EU-Japan relationship suffered more of a lack of ties than anything else.
