Sod it: Taoiseach flings the dirt on final leg of Japan trip
Japan's prime minister Fumio Kishida and Micheál Martin attend the Japan-Ireland Summit Meeting at the prime minister's office in Tokyo. Picture: Philip Fong / AFP / Pool/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Since the days of yore — or at least the beginning of this journalist’s career — sod turnings have been a feature of Irish political life.
The format is usually quite similar. A politician will rock up to an empty field, see grand impressions of how a site will look, and pretend to put a shovel in the ground or throw some pre-cut dirt for the purposes of a photo opportunity.
That Irish format went international on Wednesday as Micheál Martin put down a marker for the new Ireland House in Tokyo. Never mind that the actual house won’t be finished for two years, the sod is turned and the largest overseas capital investment in the history of the State is on its way.
At €21.4m, it will be a multi-agency home for the Irish Embassy, the IDA, Bord Bia, and Enterprise Ireland and will house a library and living quarters.
It is an impressive project and underlines the Irish commitment to doing business here in Japan. Little wonder, given that it is the world’s third-largest economy.
As Mr Martin prepared to throw his pile of dirt — to the right, the others in attendance were reminded — he repeated a Japanese proverb “Hana Yori Dango”. Translated, it means dumplings before flowers, but is taken to mean putting substance before style.
If Tuesday night’s céilí band and poem chanting was the style, Wednesday’s portion of this whistlestop trip of the Pacific was undoubtedly the substance.
Kicking off with the sod turning as the morning heat rose to over 33 degrees, Mr Martin harked back to his archaeology student days as the contents of a dig on the Ireland House site were displayed.
Great visit to the site of the new Ireland House in Tokyo this morning.
— Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD) July 20, 2022
Look forward to seeing this building come to life - a showcase for Irish innovation, creativity, and sustainability in Japan. pic.twitter.com/eNk5F1wqcj
Sod turned and project officially started, the Taoiseach went to the Kantei, the Japanese prime minister’s office.
Heralded into the glass and marble building by a guard of honour whose rendition of Amhrán na bhFiann was loud enough to be heard at the other end of a long corridor, which was lucky for the assembled media who had been sequestered in the meeting room there, being hooshed back when they attempted to watch proceedings from an upstairs window.
When Mr Martin and Fumio Kishida arrived with their respective delegations, waiting on the Taoiseach was a small pot of green tea, a classy touch from the hosts.
The Taoiseach's afternoon and evening saw him meet the Keidanren, Japan's version of the IDA, where business leaders spoke to him about Ireland's position in the EU and how it can be leveraged.
The meeting, and the entire visit, spoke to the seriousness with which both leaders and countries are treating the trip.
While there was no sign of dancing mascots as with New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern (much to this writer's disappointment), there was a deep appreciation for Ireland, its culture, and its leader.
From there, the Irish delegation returned to their hotel before the Taoiseach was appraised of efforts to advertise beef tongue in Japan — it is a delicacy, apparently.
That meeting with Irish food providers went well for the assembled hungry hacks, to whom the Taoiseach handed packets of Irish beef jerky sold here in Japan. An extravagance, maybe. But one which could be justified.
It was, after all, the end of the day and the dumplings had already been done.
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