Overview
- Tokyo is arranging a late‑May state visit for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., according to multiple government sources who say he would meet Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
- The visit plan includes an audience and a state banquet with Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, reflecting the elevated protocol of a state guest invitation.
- Leaders are expected to align on the Free and Open Indo‑Pacific, Japan’s regional vision that backs rules at sea, with talks geared toward countering Chinese maritime pressure.
- Energy security is set to feature, with coordination on safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz as Iran‑related tensions threaten fuel shipping routes.
- Takaichi is also preparing early‑May trips to Vietnam and Australia to outline a FOIP update that stresses tougher supply chains for medical goods and critical minerals and builds on Japan’s Power Asia energy support framework.