Section 3 Diplomacy with the Support of the Public

1 Proactive Communications to the Public

(1) Overview

Public understanding and support are indispensable for the smooth implementation of Japan's foreign policy. As such, providing prompt and clear explanations on the policy details and on the role of the government is crucial. Accordingly, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) is making efforts in timely and effective public relations, using various forms of media, lectures, publications and others.

(2) Providing Information through Domestic Media

MOFA has committed itself to promptly and accurately providing information through various media, such as newspapers, television and the Internet, in order to gain the understanding and support of Japanese nationals for Japan's foreign policy. To provide information effectively, regular press conferences are conducted by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Press Secretary, while extraordinary press conferences are held as necessary. Press conferences by the Foreign Minister are open to various media including Internet media, and the records and videos of the press conferences are posted on MOFA's website.

During foreign visits by the Prime Minister or the Foreign Minister, MOFA provides information from visiting countries/regions via multiple means, including the Internet, so that people can promptly follow and understand the details and the outcomes of the visits. MOFA also regularly releases statements by the Minister for Foreign Affairs or Press Secretary on individual international issues, expressing the position of the Government of Japan. Similarly, MOFA frequently provides press releases on its daily diplomatic activities. Additionally, the Minister and State Ministers for Foreign Affairs explain the Government's foreign policies directly to the public through appearances on various media and interviews.

Extraordinary Press Conference by Foreign Minister Motegi (August 6, London, UK)

(3) Information Provision through the Internet

MOFA's website (in Japanese and English) is a way to promptly provide information on the diplomatic activities of the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister as well as on Japan's foreign policy including territory/sovereignty, recognition of history and security along with the latest international relations and other basic relevant information.

Furthermore, MOFA's website in the Japanese language provides a variety of contents for Japanese nationals across a wide range of levels, including the “Anything Report from Around the World” and “MOFA for Kids.” In particular, “MOFA for Kids” publishes contents such as videos and quizzes that use unique characters to explain MOFA's activities in an easy-to-understand way, and Q&A corners explaining vocabularies and international issues that are covered frequently in the news and newspapers.

In addition to these, MOFA provides a variety of information through various social media platforms. As face-to-face activities were significantly constrained due to the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in 2020, efforts were made to provide information in new ways through the Internet, such as online video live streaming of the regular press conferences by the Foreign Minister.

MOFA's official website
https://www.mofa.go.jp/index.html

MOFA's official facebook account
https://www.facebook.com/Mofa.Japan.en

MOFA's official twitter account
https://twitter.com/MofaJapan_en

MOFA for Kids
https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/kids/index.html
(Japanese language website only)

(4) Dialogue with Japanese Nationals

With the notion of “Public Relations through Dialogue,” MOFA provides the people of Japan with opportunities to directly talk to the Foreign Minister, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs and MOFA officials.

At the “Dialogue with Students,” a MOFA seminar for students held in February, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Omi Asako gave the opening address, and also observed group debates by the participating students and commented on their reports on the debate outcomes. Furthermore, at a gathering following the seminar, she exchanged views with a large number of the participating students.

Various programs had to be cancelled or postponed due to the spread of COVID-19, among them “Visits by elementary, junior and senior-high school students to MOFA” as well as “Lectures on the International Situations,” “Diplomatic Talks” and “Talks for High School,” in which MOFA sends its officials to venues such as international exchange organizations, universities and high schools throughout Japan, and “Children's Kasumigaseki Tour Day,” which parents and children take part in together. However, from September “Talks for High School,” “Diplomatic Talks” and “Lectures on the International Situations” were switched to an online format and conducted sequentially (at the “Diplomatic Talks” and “Talks for High School,” the advantages offered by the online format have been capitalized on to include lectures by MOFA staff working at embassies and consulates-general overseas) (See the Column on page 354). Through these programs, MOFA is working to promote better understanding of foreign policy and international affairs among young people, who will bear the future of Japan on their shoulders.

Lectures on the International Situations
(November 26, Fukushima City Board of Education)

One of the Diplomatic Talks (December 7, Ferris University)

One of the Talks for High School
(October 22, Shizuoka Prefectural Yaizu Chuo High School)

MOFA also introduces Japan's ODA policies and specific measures to the public through various symposia, lectures and “ODA Delivery Lectures” in which MOFA officials take part (33 lectures in 2019).

Additionally, MOFA publishes the periodical journal “Diplomacy,” widely sharing information on discussions taking place in various areas and at various levels concerning diplomacy and international affairs relevant to Japan. In 2020 the journal took up various diplomatic challenges as themes, including the transformation of the international order by COVID-19 and the course of the U.S. presidential election, and featured a large number of essays and other articles from renowned experts both inside and outside Japan.

Moreover, MOFA also produced various pamphlets in order to promote understanding on the organizational structure and foreign policies of MOFA in an understandable manner. In addition to the above, MOFA accepts individual public opinions and impressions through various channels, including its website. Comments and opinions from the public are accordingly shared within MOFA and used as a reference in policy making and planning.

Periodical journal “Diplomacy”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) provides opportunities for people in a wide age range to learn about Japan's foreign policy and global issues, through various public relations programs including sending MOFA officials to high schools and universities to give lectures, such as the “Talks for High School” and “Diplomatic Talks” programs.

Due to the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), programs that we had been engaged in, such as the sending of officials to conduct talks on site and visits by students to MOFA, have been suspended for the time being. In place of these activities, online lectures and talks have been conducted since autumn 2020 as a new initiative that meets the needs of the COVID-19 era.

1. Online lectures that connect students to the MOFA Headquarters (Tokyo)

“Talks for High School” at Hachinohe Kita High School

The first online “Talks for High School” was held in September at Hachinohe Kita High School, an Aomori prefectural high school. On the day of the talk, a MOFA official presented the talk from the Headquarters in Tokyo, using many materials such as photographs and figures to make the contents easy to understand even in an online talk, and staying mindful of speaking more slowly and clearly than usual to make it easier to hear and understand. Other creative efforts such as introducing quizzes in the middle of the talk were also made to prevent the talk from becoming monotonous and tedious.

At the school, each student prepared cards in three colors beforehand, and used them to answer the quiz questions. Such unique ideas and creative efforts by the school also helped to facilitate a lively two-way exchange in spite of the online format.

2. Online lectures that connect students to diplomatic missions overseas

More than half of MOFA's officials serve as diplomats at the Embassies, Consulates and Permanent Missions of Japan in 195 countries around the world. The opportunity to hear directly from a diplomat who works overseas is probably one of the appeals of MOFA's domestic public relations initiatives. In fact, there have been requests to incorporate topics related to the overseas work experience of MOFA's officials into the “Talks for High School” and “Diplomatic Talks” programs.

However, using the traditional method of sending speakers to the site of the talk would mean bringing a diplomat working overseas back to Japan, then dispatching him or her to each school. This is, of course, impossible. Hence, this has always involved sending an official working at the MOFA Headquarters in Tokyo to talk about their past experience of working overseas.

In this respect, an online talk creates the opportunity to hear a timely and immersive talk from an official who is currently serving as a diplomat on the global stage. The online domestic public relations initiative can be described as a measure that can fully demonstrate MOFA's strengths.

Since October, MOFA's Domestic Public Relations Division has been conducting lectures and talks led by officials working at diplomatic missions overseas. MOFA's officials based in not only countries that are relatively close to Japan such as Indonesia and Mongolia, but also other parts of the world including Africa, the Middle East, Central and South America, and Europe, such as Rwanda and Brazil, have also served as speakers in these initiatives.

Going forward, there are also plans to launch an initiative of virtual tours of MOFA.

Even under the COVID-19 pandemic, MOFA will continue to implement domestic public relations initiatives that are equally, or more, enriching and effective than before.

(5) Promotion of the Declassification of Diplomatic Records and Access to Information

To further enhance the public understanding of and confidence in Japan's foreign policy, MOFA is actively engaging itself in the smooth transfer of records and their declassification. In addition, MOFA has been engaged in efforts to facilitate greater convenience in the public use of diplomatic documents.

MOFA preserves more than 120,000 historical materials, including 40,000 prewar historical documents in its diplomatic archives and has declassified its postwar diplomatic records since 1976 as a voluntary initiative. The Rules on the Declassification of Diplomatic Records, which were established in May 2010, stipulate: (1) the declassification of diplomatic documents created more than 30 years ago in principle and (2) the establishment of the “Committee for the Promotion of the Declassification of the Diplomatic Records” which is chaired by the State Minister for Foreign Affairs or the Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs as well as attended by external experts, to further promote the declassification of diplomatic records and improve its transparency. The number of files which have been transferred to the Diplomatic Archives and made public since then reached approximately 35,000 by the end of 2020.

Furthermore, MOFA discloses information pursuant to the Act on Access to Information Held by Administrative Organs, while giving considerations to national security, the relationship of mutual trust with other countries, the impact on diplomatic negotiations and the protection of personal information. In 2020, MOFA received 781 requests for disclosure, and documents totaling 42,914 pages were disclosed.