The Japanese government places high importance on relations with nations in Southeast Asia, where key sea lanes are located and economic growth continues. Japan wants to promote a free and open international order based on the rule of law with ASEAN nations.
Tokyo will also support Japanese firms in conducting trials in Indonesia to test the speed and security of their equipment. Securing telecom infrastructure contracts there will mark the first entry of Japanese players into this market.
The Japanese Government hopes that the transfer of used destroyers to the Philippines will qualify as a form of defence cooperation, as the ships would be modified to meet the specific operational needs of the Philippine side.
Cooperation between Indonesia and Japan is expected to strengthen and yield mutual benefits in the near future, according to an Indonesian trade official.
The agreement eases restrictions on the movement of personnel between the two nations' forces to facilitate joint drills and disaster relief operations, making the Philippines Japan's third RAA partner after Australia and the UK.
The relationship between Japan and the Philippines in the security field has been strengthened in recent years. In 2023, Japan provided the Philippines with an airborne surveillance radar system.
Malaysia and Japan have reaffirmed their commitment to advancing regional decarbonisation and sustainable growth under the Asia Zero Emissions Community (AZEC) initiative.
Describing the atmosphere in Ho Chi Minh City on this momentous occasion, Asahi wrote that across the downtown city, banners and posters commemorating 50 years of national reunification were on display.
Major outlets provided detailed reports on the visit, with particular emphasis on the two PMs’ shared commitment to upholding the international order and promoting a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based trading system.
During his visit to Vietnam, Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru toured a local industrial park where many Japanese companies operate and expressed his intention to take all possible measures to address the impact of US tariffs on Japanese companies operating overseas.
According to the report, Vietnam occupies a key geopolitical location, bordering vital maritime routes in the East Sea and sharing a long land border with China. With the third-largest population in Southeast Asia and a rapidly growing middle class, Vietnam is seen as a promising market.
Hiroshima-based Fukuyama Transporting is training driver candidates in Vietnam and offering language courses and driving tests. It plans to hire 15 long-haul drivers around summer 2026.
The Kayan hydropower plant is not just an infrastructure project within the framework of the Asia Zero Emission Community but also a strategic investment for Indonesia’s energy security and decarbonisation efforts.
Among the companies showing strong interest, Japan’s Isuzu Motors plans to produce electric pickup trucks at its Thai facility, primarily for export. Other Japanese automakers, such as Mitsubishi Motors, also intend to expand their presence in Thailand.
Philippine Secretary of National Defence Gilberto Teodoro said stressed the need for a strong partnership between the Philippines and Japan to prevent any unilateral efforts to change the existing global framework.
Japanese Defence Minister Gen Nakatani is expected to visit Manila from February 22 and reach an agreement with Philippine Secretary of National Defence Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on the envisaged framework. The establishment of this new framework aims to strengthen Japan-Philippines defence cooperation.
Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo Enrique Manalo and his Japanese counterpart Takeshi Iwaya on January 15 agreed to continue communication with the incoming US administration of President-elect Donald Trump to promote their trilateral relationship.
Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru announced a set of projects worth a total of 129 billion JPY (815 million USD) in Indonesia during his meeting with President Prabowo Subianto on January 11.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his visiting counterpart Ishiba Shigeru on January 10 agreed to strengthen ties to ensure regional security based on the rule of law and build robust supply chains, seeking to cement their comprehensive strategic partnership.
Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru began a four-day trip to Malaysia and Indonesia on January 9, as Tokyo aims to strengthen economic and security ties with the Southeast Asian nations, according to Kyodo News.
The Indonesian Ministry of Defence said on January 7 that it is currently in talks to strike a possible military technology transfer deal with Japan to enhance the Southeast Asian nation’s defence capabilities.
Malaysia has encouraged strategic collaboration in digital transformation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its dialogue partners, Japan and the Republic of Korea (RoK), at the bloc's Plus One Summits in Vientiane, Laos, on October 10.
Japan plans to introduce a method of calculating greenhouse gas emissions to Southeast Asian countries, where international emissions measurement systems have not been fully developed, in the framework of the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and related meetings in Vientiane, Laos on October 8-11.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) of Japan will expand its support for the development of information infrastructure in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region.
ASEAN member countries and Japan are best-placed to work together to boost cyber resilience given the spectre of rising cyber threats in the region, according to a recent article published by the Singaporean-based ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute’s site fulcrum.sg.