The operatic notes of “Il Canto degli Italiani” rang out to the black and gold backdrop of the Amerigo Vespucci in glorious sunshine under a blue sky in Tokyo harbor. Moments earlier we had watched a video tracing Italy’s cultural heritage from ancient Rome through the Renaissance to the modern day’s Ferraris and football. Add in the amazing food served at lunchtime and the alarming number of well-tailored suits in the audience, and it was a masterclass in how to leverage your cultural assets to further your diplomatic goals.
The Amerigo Vespucci is a training ship in the Marina Militare, the Italian Navy. It is also the oldest ship in the navy, at 93 years old. And, as we were repeatedly told (and who would dare disagree), it is “the most beautiful ship in the world.”
The Vespucci is in the middle of a 20-month circumnavigation of the globe, calling at more than 30 ports along the way. At some of them, her visit will coincide with the Villagio Italia, an exhibition of Italian design, culture and industry, not to mention food and drink.
On August 26, the opening ceremony of the Villagio and Amerigo Vespucci’s port call took place. For the next five days, inhabitants of Tokyo and beyond will be able to go and visit the ship, for free, although it is necessary to reserve a slot as the port call will be very popular. In case it was not obvious from my words so far, it really is a stunning ship and well worth the effort if you can.
As the Vespucci’s captain Giuseppe Lai put it, the ship is a “floating embassy.” It represents not only the “bravery” and “soul” of Italy, but also the hard power of Italy’s armed forces. The opening ceremony was attended not by Italy’s minister of economy and finance, or its minister of culture, but rather its minister of defense, Guido Crosetto. That such a senior level government official would attend at all shows the importance that Italy attached to the event.
In his speech, Crosetto made it very clear why. It is the growing bilateral relationship between Italy and Japan. He talked, obviously, about the Vespucci and the work and sacrifice that had gone into making the voyage a success. He talked about the common heritage of Japan and Italy as countries of “history, tradition, art, culture and taste.” But he also talked about the Cavour, the Italian aircraft carrier and accompanying carrier strike group that is also visiting Japan this week (at a different port). And of course, he talked about GCAP.
GCAP, the Global Combat Air Program to produce a new jet fighter for Italy and Japan, was mentioned repeatedly in speech after speech as a key part of the relationship. This British reporter must point out that the Japanese-Italian bilateral is in part a trilateral with the United Kingdom, which is the third participant in GCAP. Indeed, it was notable that when Crosetto talked about his personal relationship with Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara, he talked about meetings in “Japan, Italy and London.” Readers with an interest in the success of GCAP will be reassured by how much it appears to be on the minds of the Italian and Japanese defense ministries.
Another geopolitical theme of the event that came through stronger than I expected was that of maritime security. Defense Minister Crosetto said that “Asia is becoming more relevant” and that “the wealth of our countries goes through a peaceful environment.” Italian Ambassador to Japan Gianluigi Benedetti, if anything went further, talking about “maritime safety and security,” maritime law and most interestingly, “freedom of navigation.” He linked all of these to Italy’s economic security. The contrast of these serious themes at the heart of speeches otherwise draped with triumphant but inoffensive nationalism was at times stark.
For the crew of the Amerigo Vespucci, the voyage is not only a military and diplomatic endeavor, but also a huge personal undertaking. I was stunned to learn that they are not rotating crews. Instead, individuals can take leave at regular intervals (of six months or so), but they are otherwise onboard for the 20-month duration. Not only are the crew following Magellan through his eponymous strait, which one crew member described as the highlight of the trip so far due to its icy beauty, they are also following him around the world itself.
For naval cadets, too, the voyage will leave memories. The Vespucci hosts more than 100 cadets during the summer each year, which is after all its intended purpose, and this is not stopping just because the ship is on the other side of the world. The time on the ship forms the end of a cadet’s first year, and as the captain said although they are learning sailing skills, the key lesson is leadership. Crossing the Pacific will no doubt help with that.
A voyage around the world takes teamwork in many respects. Not only on the ship, but behind the scenes as well. To build a partnership between two countries that also spans the globe requires no less effort, but that effort is on full display in Tokyo Bay right now.
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