KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 10 (Bernama) -- Friendly relations between Japan and Malaysia has prompted many Japanese retirees to make their second home here, according to Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia, Masahiko Horie.

"Malaysia has become the number one country which is sought by so many Japanese retirees to have their second home and second life," Horie said.

"And already more than 1,000 Japanese have come to Malaysia for that purpose and are enjoying their lives here very much," he told Bernama here.

Horie said due to the good relations between the two countries, about 1,400 Japanese companies were currently operating here.

"Half of them are in manufacturing and the other half in trading, services and others and also we have about 10,000 Japanese living in Malaysia," he said.

"They are all happy living here as they have found Malaysia to be a wonderful country," he added.

For Horie, the first time he came to Malaysia was in 1983, when he accompanied the then Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone on a visit to the Asean countries.

At that time Asean had only five members with Brunei joining the group one year later.

"So the prime minister visited all the five Asean capitals plus Brunei and those of us accompanying him found Malaysia to be the most beautiful capital at that time," Horie recalled.

"I wanted to come back to Malaysia and 24 years later, I was appointed as ambassador to Malaysia," he said.

"It has been one year and four months, and I am enjoying my professional and private life here with my wife," he added.

-- BERNAMA

By Tengku Noor Shamsiah Tengku Abdullah

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