Celebrating our 'special bond of friendship' with the Philippines

PRIME MINISTER KISHIDA AFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO PROMOTE STRONG RELATIONS WITH PH

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As Prime Minister of Japan, I extend warm greetings to all citizens of the Philippines. Ten years ago, in January 2013, on the 40th anniversary of the establishment of Japan-ASEAN Friendship and Cooperation, I came to the Philippines on my first foreign trip after assuming the office of Minister for Foreign Affairs. Today, as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Japan-ASEAN relations, I am honored to be able to visit the Philippines again as Prime Minister at the invitation of His Excellency Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. I feel a deep affinity with the Philippines.

HISTORY OF JAPAN-PHILIPPINES EXCHANGE

Exchanges between our two countries can be traced back to the 16th century, when Japanese communities established themselves here in Manila through trade. In the 17th century, a Christian feudal lord Takayama Ukon flew to Manila after being persecuted in Japan and spent the remainder of his days here. He was eventually beatified as a martyr by the Pope in 2017.

Also in the 17th century, Hasekura Tsunenaga, dispatched to Spain by Date Masamune, a feudal lord during Japan’s civil war period, visited Manila on his way back to Japan after visiting Spain and Rome to have an audience with the Roman Pontiff .

In the mid-19th century, Jose Rizal, a national hero of the Philippines, stayed in Japan for a while, and a monument to him was erected in his honor in Hibiya Park, Tokyo, near the site of the hotel where he had resided. Rizal was not only widely admired in the Philippines but was also a pioneer of friendly relations between his country and Japan.