Foreign minister Velislava Petrova and Japan's ambassador Chikahisa Sumi met to discuss closer ties between the two countries, the foreign ministry said.
At the meeting, they picked out several areas to work on: trade and the economy, investment, energy, tourism, science and technology, and exchanges in education and culture.
They also talked about youth exchange programmes that let young people from both countries get to know each other.
Petrova welcomed the work under way between the Institute for Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Technology (INSAIT) and Japan's national research agency RIKEN. The two bodies work together on robotics, machine learning and computer vision.
"Business and scientific research are moving faster than governments," Petrova said. She said Bulgaria should grab the chances that come up and back projects that show promise.
The two also discussed why staying connected matters given the state of world affairs today. "Connectivity means turning specific projects and partnerships into reality, and that's where Bulgaria is putting its efforts," Petrova said.
The Japanese ambassador also met caretaker innovation and growth minister Irena Mladenova in early March. They discussed working more closely on investment, innovation and high technology.