Press Conferences

Ms. KAMIKAWA Yoko, Minister for Foreign Affairs: I have two announcements.

First, yesterday, we received a protest on the recent incidents from Governor Tamaki of Okinawa Prefecture. Governor Tamaki requested, among other measures, thorough reporting to Okinawa Prefecture of incidents and accidents involving U.S. military personnel, formulation of measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents, improvement of the U.S. discipline system, and convening of the Cooperation Working Team for Preventing Incidents and Accidents by Members of the U.S. Forces, the Civilian Component, and Others, CWT for short.

In addition, Governor Tamaki called for enhanced coordination between Okinawa Prefecture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ (MOFA) Okinawa Liaison Office, which serves as a key point of liaison between MOFA and local communities. Through these requests, we reaffirmed the importance of coordination and cooperation between MOFA and Okinawa Prefecture.

The recent incidents are extremely regrettable. My heart aches when I think of the victims. As Foreign Minister, I am advocating for Women, Peace and Security (WPS) whose central agenda is to protect women’s human rights and dignity. The principles of WPS emphasize the prevention and elimination of sexual violence in conflict and disaster situations and of sexual violence and crimes committed by military personnel, as well as the accountability and punishment of perpetrators. Personally, it is intolerable that the incidents occurred in the midst of Japan’s initiatives based on these principles.

MOFA will urge the U.S. to ensure the prevention of incidents and accidents, including implementing concrete measures. We will also review what can be done about the matters requested by Governor Tamaki yesterday.

It is the local governments that are fighting crimes in their communities and addressing the anxiety of local residents. In that respect, we are considering if further efforts or improvements can be made to the way information is shared with them.

In particular, MOFA, together with relevant ministries and agencies, is conducting an extensive review of information sharing with local governments on future serious incidents, taking into account the anxiety and concern of the people of Okinawa, which hosts many facilities and areas of the U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ), and taking into consideration the privacy of the victims and the impact on investigations. We are working quickly so that the Government can announce them shortly. I just discussed these matters with Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi.

Furthermore, MOFA will be examining how its efforts to prevent sexual violence and crimes can be strengthened from the perspective of WPS.

Incidents and accidents caused by U.S. military personnel and others provoke great concern among people in local communities and should never happen. MOFA will be addressing this matter vigilantly.

Minister Kamikawa: Second, I held a meeting with H.E. Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Special Envoy to Japan of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who is visiting Japan.

Minister Jaber is the first minister I welcomed to Tokyo after I assumed the office of Foreign Minister last September. The UAE is a country that fulfills a key role for peace and stability in the Middle East. Japan-UAE cooperation covers not only the traditional energy sector, it now extends to a wide range of fields, including decarbonization, advanced technology, education, culture, tourism, space, and defense. Japan attaches great importance to the strategic partnership with the UAE.

At the today’s meeting, we confirmed that the two countries will further strengthen cooperation in various fields under the “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Initiative (CSPI).”

In addition, we concurred to hold the Second Ministerial Level Meeting of the CSPI at an appropriate time of this year. We also held a significant exchange of views on cooperation between Japan and the UAE towards the stabilization of the international crude oil market and on means to strengthen the bilateral economic relationship.

Building on today’s meeting, Japan and the UAE will further strengthen our comprehensive strategic partnership.

That is all from me.

Kyodo News, Nishiyama: I believe you will be visiting Cambodia and the Philippines from tomorrow. Please tell us about your enthusiasm for the visit.

Minister Kamikawa: From July 5 to 9, I will visit Cambodia and the Philippines for the first time since I was appointed as Foreign Minister.

During this visit, we will confirm our intention to advance concrete cooperation to deepen our ties as true friends with “heart-to-heart” connections and to advance concrete cooperation.

In Cambodia, I intend to strengthen our relationship with the Hun Manet administration and set out a new approach for bilateral cooperation based on our longstanding collaboration and the current situation of development in Cambodia.

In addition, building on Japan’s years of cooperation with Cambodia on humanitarian mine action, I hope to present a vision for our assistance to humanitarian mine action during my upcoming visit to Cambodia.

In the Philippines, a Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting, the “2+2,” will be held. We will confirm the further strengthening of our security and defense cooperation. Furthermore, through a Japan-Philippines Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and other opportunities, the two sides will further evolve our bilateral relationship in wide-ranging areas.

Yomiuri Shimbun, Kamimura: I would like to ask about the incidents involving U.S. military personnel in Okinawa Prefecture. It is about the information-sharing arrangements you mentioned in your opening remarks. I am aware that Japan and the U.S. have specified reporting procedures. However, if the Japanese investigative bodies are already aware of an incident, as they were in the recent cases, I think that it is the decision of those bodies to share the information. What is MOFA’s opinion on this? In addition, if there are incidents that have not been made public by investigative bodies, please tell us about whether MOFA may decide to report them to Okinawa Prefecture or to local governments in the future.

Minister Kamikawa: We understand that investigative authorities have always determined whether to make incidents public in accordance with Article 47 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. For each case, investigative authorities determine the necessity of the public interest, the impact on the reputation and privacy of the persons concerned, and whether and to what extent the disclosure will affect investigations and trials, including those in the future. Investigative authorities then carefully determine whether, to what extent, and by what way to make such matters public.

We understand that in deciding whether to make the cases in question public, the investigative authorities took into account the seriousness of the crime, as well as the fact that it had not been made public when it became known and that it was a sexual related crime and making it public may have a significant impact on the reputation and privacy of the victim.

MOFA responded to the recent incidents based on such decisions made by the investigative authorities.

I expect MOFA’s responses to continue to take into consideration the decisions made by investigative authorities.

Asahi Shimbun, Matsuyama: I would like to ask about the way information is shared about incidents involving U.S. military personnel. You just stated in your opening remarks that MOFA and relevant ministries and agencies will be considering sharing information as quickly as possible. Could you tell us by around when the review will be completed if there is a concrete timeframe? If you know, please also share with us in what way improvements will be made.

Minister Kamikawa: The question was about the way information on future serious incidents will be shared with local governments. MOFA, together with relevant ministries and agencies, is conducting an extensive review, taking into account the anxiety and concern of the people of Okinawa, which hosts many facilities and areas of the USFJ, and taking into consideration the privacy of the victims and the impact on investigations. We are working quickly so that the Government can announce them shortly. I just discussed these matters with Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi.

Regarding your question on the details and timing, I will refrain from answering based on speculation at this time. We are working quickly so that the Government can announce them shortly.

NHK, Igarashi: I also have a question concerning U.S. military personnel. During the press conference that Okinawa Governor Tamaki gave yesterday after making requests to you, he stated that he called on the Government to swiftly resume the working team for Japan and the U.S. to discuss measures for preventing incidents and accidents by the U.S. Forces, known as the CWT. You have already referred to this in your opening remarks. I would like to ask how MOFA will be dealing with this.

Minister Kamikawa: At my meeting with Governor Tamaki of Okinawa Prefecture yesterday, the Governor requested that the CWT, the Cooperation Working Team for Preventing Incidents and Accidents by Members of the U.S. Forces, the Civilian Component, and Others, which you mentioned, be convened as soon as possible.

MOFA will urge the U.S. to ensure the prevention of incidents and accidents, including implementing concrete measures. We will also consider what can be done about the matters requested by Okinawa Prefecture, including the convening of the CWT.

Kyodo News, Nishiyama: I have a follow-up question on the incidents in Okinawa. The U.S. measures for preventing recurrences, which you mentioned in your opening remarks, have not been made very clear at this time. If MOFA has received any information about them, can you share it with us?

Minister Kamikawa: We understand the U.S. stated that it was seriously concerned by the incidents, it regrets that the incidents have caused concern to everyone, and it will continue to fully cooperate with the investigations by local authorities and the trials.

I would like to refrain from disclosing the details of the discussion between Japan and the U.S. MOFA will urge the U.S. to ensure the prevention of incidents and accidents, including implementing concrete measures that take sufficient account of the WPS perspective. We will also consider what can be done about the matters requested by Governor Tamaki yesterday.

Jiji Press, Tanaka: I would like to change topics. It is about the Supreme Court judgment on the former Eugenic Protection Act. Yesterday, the Supreme Court rendered a judgment that ordered the Government to pay compensation, citing that the former Eugenic Protection Act, which permitted forced sterilization because of a disability or other reasons, was unconstitutional. The Government has been repeatedly advised to compensate victims by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and other organizations. What are your thoughts on this judgment?

Minister Kamikawa: We are aware that the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities’ concluding observations on the initial report of Japan, which was considered in August 2022, contain opinions and recommendations about the former Eugenic Protection Act.

Regarding yesterday’s Supreme Court judgment, I believe Prime Minister Kishida stated, “I asked Minister Kato and Minister Koizumi to instruct a review of a new compensation system to reach a conclusion on it as quickly as possible, upon carefully examining the judgment and in consultation with the Diet.”

In any case, I understand that, while the concluding observations are not legally binding, relevant ministries and agencies will be giving adequate consideration to the Committee’s recommendations and opinions.