Japan is increasingly active in Africa. In May 2008, the first Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize will be awarded at Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV), which signals a changing emphasis in bilateral relations.

Angola
Angola-Japan relations were established in September 1976, shortly after Angola received formal sovereignty. As of 2007, economic relations played "a fundamental role in the bilateral relations between the two governments". Susumu Shibata is the ambassador of Japan to Angola.

Egypt
Japan considers Egypt to be a key player in the Middle East and, as such, sees Egypt as a vital part of its diplomacy in the region. The two heads of government have been known to support each other on issues pertaining to the peace process in the middle east.

Additionally, the two countries claim to share a common vision for world peace. The two countries maintain a "Joint Committee" dedicated to exploring developments in areas of mutual interest to the two countries.

Nigeria
Japan and Nigeria engage in strong economic and political cooperation. Both countries established diplomatic relations on October 1, 1960; and there are remote similarities between the Japanese language and several Nigerian languages.

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