Astana is a metropolis with its own identity and ambitions, says Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike On the eve of Capital City Day, Qazinform News Agency publishes an exclusive interview with Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, who praised Astana's rapid pace of development. Earlier this May, Yuriko Koike paid an official visit to Kazakhstan. In recognition of her significant contribution to strengthening friendly ties between Kazakhstan and Japan, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev awarded the Tokyo Governor the Order of Dostyq, I Degree. Despite her busy schedule, Koike found time to give an exclusive interview to Qazinform. She describes Astana as a modern megacity and highlights its growing role as a Eurasian hub for business and tourism. Ms. Koike, you paid an official visit to Kazakhstan in May this year. What do you consider the main achievement of that visit? During my stay in Astana, I had the opportunity to meet with the President of Kazakhstan. I was impressed by my conversation with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and highly appreciate his leadership and the institutional reforms he is advancing to promote economic growth, expand artificial intelligence and digitalization, and enhance the country's investment attractiveness. Under President Tokayev's leadership, Kazakhstan is strengthening its role as a key Central Asian hub connecting Europe and Asia. Last December, Tokyo signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Akimat of Astana city. During this trip, I visited and toured the organizations relevant to this MOU. Specifically, we carried out high-profile promotional initiatives for Tokyo-based startups and SMEs in the green transformation (GX) sector, while also undertaking site visits across a broad range of fields, including AI, disaster prevention, education, and sturgeon aquaculture. I believe this visit will help to deepen our cooperation on addressing shared challenges and strengthening our international competitiveness, leading to success for both cities. What insights