Japanese Foreign Minister to Attend Trump's Inauguration Ceremony... "First Time a Japanese Cabinet Member Attends"

Early Summit Between Trump and Ishiba Likely to Be Pursued

Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya has finalized plans to attend the inauguration ceremony of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, scheduled to take place on the 20th (local time) in Washington, D.C., USA.

Takeshi Iwaya, Japanese Foreign Minister. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

According to reports from Yomiuri Shimbun and NHK on the 11th, the Trump transition team conveyed their intention to invite Foreign Minister Iwaya to the inauguration ceremony to Japan, and the Japanese government decided to dispatch the foreign minister.

Until now, it has been customary for the Japanese Ambassador to the United States to attend the U.S. presidential inauguration, making Foreign Minister Iwaya’s attendance unusual. Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) quoted a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official saying, "This is the first time a Japanese cabinet minister will attend a U.S. presidential inauguration."

Taking advantage of his visit to the U.S., Foreign Minister Iwaya is planning to hold meetings with senior officials of the Trump administration, including U.S. Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio. Yomiuri reported, "Through a series of talks, Foreign Minister Iwaya aims to share with the U.S. side a mutual understanding to deepen the Japan-U.S. alliance and strengthen economic cooperation," adding, "Since he visited China last month, it is expected that he will also coordinate perceptions regarding China."

Furthermore, Foreign Minister Iwaya is expected to conduct preparatory work for an early summit meeting between President-elect Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, which is being discussed to be held in the U.S. in early to mid-next month. Regarding this, Yomiuri explained, "If Foreign Minister Iwaya meets with Representative Mike Waltz, who has been appointed as National Security Advisor, there is a possibility that they will coordinate the agenda for the summit."

Before his visit to the U.S., Foreign Minister Iwaya will hold talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul on the 13th, followed by visits to the Philippines and Palau.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.