Japan-Taiwan

Japan’s incoming Prime Minister and his Taiwan connection

Lee Teng-hui and Fumio Kishida
Culture 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Keelung City Mayor Lin Yu-chang was proud to point out today that Fumio Kishida, who is set to become Japan’s 100th prime minister October 4, has an ancestral family connection with the port city. Fumio Kishida’s great-grandfather established two stores in Keelung City in 1895 and the buildings not only survive, but are well preserved. Democratic Progressive Party legislator Tsai Shih-ying pointed out the connection in a Facebook post yesterday, explaining that Kitaro Kishida established a Kimono store and a

Read more

China incensed after Japan’s Prime Minister, opposition leader call Taiwan ‘a country’

Wang Wenbin spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Regional 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

China expressed “strong dissatisfaction with erroneous remarks” in response to statements made in Japan’s parliamentary body yesterday referring to Taiwan as a country, according to Beijing Daily. Both the Prime Minister of Japan, Yoshihide Suga, and the leader of the opposition, Yukio Edano, made comments using the word “country” when referring to Taiwan in the Japanese Diet yesterday, Wednesday, June 9. Prime Minister Suga, speaking about epidemic prevention efforts in overseas countries cited the examples of Australia, New Zealand, and

Read more

Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association raises Japanese flag in Taipei for first time: no longer concerned about China’s feelings

Japanese flag flies over JTEA office in Taipei City
International Relations 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment

Japan’s representative office in Taiwan, the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association (JTEA) raised the national flag of Japan at its Taipei office this morning, April 17, for the first time in its 50-year history. Japan-ROC Diet Members’ Consultative Council Chairman Keiji Furuya took to Twitter today to say that JTEA had finally raised the Japanese flag, and that concern about Beijing’s feelings in the past had prevented the office from doing what should be a “matter of course.” Keiji Furuya wrote that

Read more

Japanese foodie music group releases song promoting Taiwan pineapples following China import ban

Japanese group Lunch Duty Taiwan pineapple song
International Relations 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A Japanese musical group with a focus on food has released a song to support Taiwanese farmers after China banned the import of pineapples from Taiwan earlier this month. The band Kyu Shoku Tou Ban (給食当番) produced the song after seeing news reports about the plight of Taiwanese pineapple farmers facing a sudden ban on their product in China, which normally fills more than 90% of Taiwan’s pineapple export demand. China announced that it would temporarily stop imports of Taiwanese

Read more

Japan’s former Prime Minister Mori hints that new PM Suga may give Taiwan President a phone call

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, and former Prime Minister of Japan Yoshide Mori at the Presidential Office in Taipei 2020
International Relations 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Former Prime Minister of Japan Yoshiro Mori told President Tsai Ing-wen today, that the newly-appointed Prime Minister of Japan, Yoshihide Suga, is looking forward to communicating by phone, if the opportunity arises. If the leaders of Japan and Taiwan were to have a telephone conversation, it would be a first since Japan severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1972. Yoshiro Mori arrived this afternoon, Friday, September 18, to attend a memorial service for the late former President Lee Teng-hui. After

Read more

Taiwan and Japan coast guards, police, cooperate in 600kg amphetamine smuggling operation bust

Taiwan coast guard logo
Drugs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

At least three Taiwanese suspects were arrested yesterday, after Japan Coast Guard officers and police intercepted a vessel in Kumamoto Prefecture attempting to smuggle 600 kilograms of amphetamine into Japan. Taiwan Coast Guard Administration officers in Kaohsiung tipped off their counterparts in Japan after receiving information on a transnational narcotics smuggling operation headed by a Taiwanese national named Huang. According to reports, Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) had been investigating the case for several months, and after notifying Japan’s National

Read more