Marcos hails golden age of Phl-Japan ties

“We are indeed in the golden age of our relations,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared Tuesday as he welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to Malacañang on the latter’s first official visit to the country.

Marcos highlighted the deepening strategic partnership between the two nations, calling the visit a symbol of the “stability, harmony, mutual respect, and immense benefit” shared by both countries.

“This is where we lay the groundwork for a resonant and inspiring future,” he said, as the two leaders marked the 10th year of strengthened ties and looked ahead to the 70th anniversary of normalized diplomatic relations in 2026.

Prime Minister Ishiba, accompanied by his wife Yoshiko, arrived in Manila at 12:48 p.m. and was received by President Marcos and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.

Before heading to Malacañang, the Japanese leader paid his respects to Dr. Jose Rizal at the Luneta.

Due to a sudden rain, the ceremonial arrival honors was moved indoors.

During their bilateral meeting, Marcos recalled his visit to Tokyo in 2023 and his audience with Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako. He emphasized the importance of building on past engagements to deepen cooperation in areas such as economic development, people-to-people exchanges, and defense and security.

“I hope our discussions today will further help us in our common pursuit of peace, security, and prosperity for all,” Marcos told Ishiba.

In response, Prime Minister Ishiba reminisced about meeting Marcos during the ASEAN Summit in Vientiane, Laos and their virtual conference with the United States earlier this year. He also recalled visiting the Philippines 25 years ago as Japan’s State Minister for Agriculture.

“This is a great pleasure for me to be able to visit Manila again and to meet you in person today,” Ishiba said.

The Japanese leader underscored the shared values between the two nations — including for the rule of law and disaster preparedness — and pointed out their mutual alliance with the United States and their geographical ties across the ocean.

He also extended an invitation to Marcos to visit the upcoming Osaka Kansai Expo, noting with a smile that both he and the President were 14 years old during the 1970 Osaka Expo. He highlighted the strong Filipino presence at the upcoming event, including the Philippines’ pavilion.