As of September 2026, 74 countries have announced participation in GREEN×EXPO 2027 (the 2027 International Horticultural Expo in Yokohama; the venue is Kamiseya, Seya-ku, Yokohama). By region, Africa has the most, with 36 countries. In our own regional split, based on United Nations statistical regional divisions, East Africa alone comes to 13 countries. Because there are so many, we have divided East Africa into a northern group of seven and a southern group of six. Listed here are that southern six (Union of the Comoros, Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Seychelles, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Mozambique, Republic of Zimbabwe) plus three countries in Southern Africa (Republic of Botswana, Kingdom of Eswatini, Kingdom of Lesotho), nine countries in all.
As of September 2026, none of these countries has announced what it will exhibit at the venue. The clues we have are the major industries and trade items listed in MOFA’s basic data, and what Japan imports from each.
As of September 2026, all nine countries have signed an official participation contract. Signing dates range from August 2025 to June 2026, depending on the country. The signing date, the farm products and plants in the basic data, and what Japan imports are as follows.
| Country | Signing | Crops and plants in MOFA’s basic data | What Japan imports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union of the Comoros | 30 June 2026 | Vanilla, cloves, ylang-ylang | Ylang-ylang (essential oil) |
| Republic of Madagascar | 30 June 2026 | Vanilla, cloves, coffee, cacao | Nickel, spices (vanilla, cloves) and others |
| Republic of Seychelles | 4 June 2026 | Coconut, cinnamon, vanilla | Frozen fish and others |
| Republic of Malawi | 21 August 2025 | Leaf tobacco, maize, tea, cotton, nuts, coffee | Metals, tobacco, tea, fruit and others |
| Republic of Mozambique | 21 August 2025 | Maize, sugar, cashew nuts, cotton, tobacco, timber | Petroleum, gas, coal, oilseeds (sesame), titanium ore, aluminium, natural graphite and others |
| Republic of Zimbabwe | 5 June 2026 | Tobacco, cotton, horticulture | Leaf tobacco, crude ores, cotton |
| Republic of Botswana | 30 June 2026 | Sorghum, maize | Diamonds, industrial diamonds |
| Kingdom of Eswatini | 26 February 2026 | Sugar, timber, citrus | Fruit, watches |
| Kingdom of Lesotho | 5 June 2026 | Maize, sorghum, wheat | Diamonds, electrical machinery, clothing |
Spices grown by the Indian Ocean islands: Comoros, Madagascar and Seychelles
Union of the Comoros
Union of the Comoros has an area of 2,236 square kilometres, about the same size as Tokyo Metropolis, or 1,862 square kilometres excluding French Mayotte. MOFA’s basic data lists vanilla, cloves and ylang-ylang (a flower used to make essential oil) among the major industries. What Japan imports is ylang-ylang essential oil, worth ¥39 million according to 2025 Ministry of Finance trade statistics. It signed an official participation contract on 30 June 2026.
Republic of Madagascar
The capital of Republic of Madagascar is Antananarivo. According to MOFA’s basic data, about 74% of the working population is engaged in agriculture, and vanilla, cloves, coffee and cacao are the main cash crops. It also notes that Madagascar-grown vanilla accounts for 90% of Japan’s imports. According to 2025 Ministry of Finance trade statistics, Japan’s imports were worth ¥29.08 billion, mainly nickel and spices (vanilla, cloves). It signed an official participation contract on 30 June 2026.
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Republic of Seychelles
Republic of Seychelles is made up of 115 islands, with an area of 460 square kilometres, about the same as Tanegashima. MOFA’s basic data lists agriculture growing coconut, cinnamon and vanilla among the major industries, alongside tourism and fishing (tuna). However, according to cumulative 2023 Ministry of Finance trade statistics, what Japan imports is frozen fish and other items; these crops are not among them. It signed an official participation contract on 4 June 2026.
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Three countries with tobacco as a major industry: Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe
Republic of Malawi
The capital of Republic of Malawi is Lilongwe. According to MOFA’s basic data, about 80% of the working population is engaged in agriculture, and leaf tobacco, maize, tea, cotton, nuts and coffee are listed as the main industries. It also states that primary farm products alone, such as tobacco, tea and sugar, account for 80% of total exports. According to 2025 Ministry of Finance trade statistics, Japan imports tobacco, tea, fruit and others, along with metals. It signed an official participation contract on 21 August 2025.
Republic of Mozambique
Republic of Mozambique has an area of 799,000 square kilometres, about twice the size of Japan. MOFA’s basic data lists maize, sugar, cashew nuts, cotton, tobacco and timber among the major industries, and shrimp under fishing. According to 2024 Ministry of Finance trade statistics, Japan imports oilseeds such as sesame and natural graphite, along with petroleum and gas. It signed an official participation contract on 21 August 2025, the same date as Malawi.
Republic of Zimbabwe
The capital of Republic of Zimbabwe is Harare. MOFA’s basic data lists tobacco, cotton and horticulture among the major industries. What Japan imports is leaf tobacco, crude ores and cotton (2024, Ministry of Finance trade statistics). Tourism is also among the main industries, with five World Heritage sites, including Victoria Falls and the Great Zimbabwe ruins. It signed an official participation contract on 5 June 2026.
Southern Africa, where minerals and farmland sit side by side: Botswana, Eswatini and Lesotho
Republic of Botswana
The capital of Republic of Botswana is Gaborone. MOFA’s basic data lists agriculture growing sorghum and maize among the major industries, but the only items listed among the major trade items and in what Japan imports, in 2024 Ministry of Finance trade statistics, are diamonds and industrial diamonds; no farm products are listed. It also states that the diamond industry accounts for about 20% of GDP. It signed an official participation contract on 30 June 2026.
Kingdom of Eswatini
Kingdom of Eswatini has an area of 17,000 square kilometres, slightly smaller than Shikoku. MOFA’s basic data lists agriculture and forestry growing sugar, timber and citrus among the major industries. Exports among the major trade items in 2022 WTO statistics also include fragrances, sugar and timber. According to 2024 Ministry of Finance trade statistics, Japan imports fruit and watches. It signed an official participation contract on 26 February 2026.
Kingdom of Lesotho
Kingdom of Lesotho has an area of 30,000 square kilometres, 1.6 times the size of Shikoku. MOFA’s basic data lists agriculture growing maize, sorghum and wheat among the major industries, but it also states that this meets only about 20% of domestic food demand, with most of the rest relying on imports from South Africa. Clothing and diamonds appear among the major trade items and in what Japan imports in 2024 Ministry of Finance trade statistics, but no farm products are listed. It signed an official participation contract on 5 June 2026.
We cover the rest of Africa’s participating countries in separate articles: four in North Africa, nine in West Africa, seven in Central Africa, and seven in the northern half of East Africa. Signing dates, capitals, populations and languages for these nine countries are in our two guides, “Africa (1), Angola to Seychelles” and “Africa (2)”.