A Friendship Woven in Trust: Commemorating 69 Years of Japan-Philippines Ties

Warm greetings to all my Filipino friends! It is my great pleasure and honor to celebrate with you today the 69th Japan-Philippines Friendship Day.

- Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuya ENDO

As we commemorate this special occasion, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the ongoing Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan and, in particular the Philippine Pavilion. I had the privilege of visiting the Philippine Pavilion twice — first, during the Philippine National Day and again during the visit of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos. On both occasions, I was deeply impressed by the thoughtful presentation of the Pavilion and particularly its symbolic theme "Woven." When I heard and experienced this theme, I found myself thinking: this theme is a perfect metaphor for the entirety of Japan-Philippines relations.

The ties that bind our two nations are like a tapestry woven from various threads of trust. And those threads be it people-to-people and cultural ties, or economic and security partnerships - are woven together to create a vivid, rich, and beautiful tapestry called Japan-Philippines relations. Using this metaphor, let me illustrate some of the threads we've woven together lately that add a new color and design to our partnership.

THREAD OF FOSTERING ENDURING PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE AND CULTURAL CONNECTIONS

As our cooperation grows from strength to strength, robust people-to-people and cultural ties continue to play a role in the foundational thread of our trust. In my various visits across the Philippines' vast regions, I've been truly overwhelmed by the local support for our bilateral partnership. It has been particularly heartwarming to witness our Filipino friends' deep interest in and shared love for Japanese culture, clearly demonstrated by the record-high of over 820,000 Filipino visitors to Japan last year. With the recent opening of the Japan Visa Application Center (JVAC), we are optimistic about sustaining this encouraging trend in the years ahead.