Japan appoints Herman Van Rompuy haiku ambassador

Japan’s foreign ministry on Tuesday appointed former European council president Herman Van Rompuy "ambassador of the haiku", placing the Belgian politician in charge of the promotion of the classic Japanese poem as part of the cultural exchange between Japan and the European Union.

Van Rompuy is known as a great lover of the haiku, a traditional Japanese poem consisting of 17 syllables spread over three lines. "As a haiku poet and Japanophile, I hope to contribute to strengthening the ties between the EU and Japan," said Van Rompuy during a meeting with Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, according to a press release.

It is not the first time Van Rompuy is praised in Japan; in 2013, he was made honorary citizen of the city of Matsuyama, the capital of the modern haiku.