Press Conferences

Foreign Press Secretary KITAMURA Toshihiro: I have two items at the top.

The first concerns the special exhibition at the Diplomatic Archives, “Showa Diplomacy: Records of a Turbulent Era.”

This year marks exactly one hundred years since the first year of the Showa era. The government is taking this centenary as an opportunity to reflect on the Showa era, to learn from the dynamism of our predecessors, and to share the memory of the era. In line with this, a special exhibition, “Showa Diplomacy: Records of a Turbulent Era,” is being held in the Diplomatic Archives Exhibition Room. The exhibition, which has already begun, runs from September 1 to November 28.

This exhibition specially features the original documents of renowned treaties concluded during the Showa era that symbolize the currents of the time. The exhibition is divided into two periods. The first period, which has already begun, runs from September 1 to October 10. During this period, the exhibition features records from the early Showa era through the end of the War, including the treaty for the renunciation of war and the instrument of surrender.

The second period, from October 14 to November 28, will feature postwar records, including the San Francisco Peace Treaty, the old and new Japan-U.S. Security Treaties, and the Okinawa Reversion Agreement, valuable originals that demonstrate the significance of Japan’s postwar diplomacy.

We hope this exhibition will offer visitors an opportunity to reflect on the wisdom and dedication of those who navigated that turbulent Showa era, to draw lessons from the Showa-era diplomacy that laid the foundations of Japan as a peace-loving nation that endure to this day—and consider the path that Japan should chart for its future.

Admission is free. We hope you will visit the Diplomatic Archives Exhibition Room in Azabudai Hills.

Press Secretary KITAMURA: The second announcement is an introduction to the FY2026 “Talking with Students - My Proposal.”

On February 4 of next year, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) will hold Dialogue with Students: My Proposal.

This event is held annually with the aim of encouraging university and graduate students, who will lead the next generation, to take an interest in Japan’s foreign policy and the international affairs.

The program consists of two components, the “Next-Generation Presentation Summit,” a student presentation contest, and dialogue session with MOFA officials. Applications for the contest are currently open. This year’s theme is “If I Were Foreign Minister: Deciding Japan’s Diplomacy of Tomorrow.”

We are also recruiting student supporters to assist with promotion for the event and with its operation on the day.

The deadline for both applications is Friday, October 9. Please refer to the MOFA website or social media for details. We look forward to receiving applications from many students who will shape Japan’s future.

That is all from me.

Yomiuri Shimbun, GOTO: Regarding “Showa Diplomacy: Records of a Turbulent Era,” are there any documents whose originals will be exhibited for the first time?

Press Secretary KITAMURA: I will check on that. As all of the documents are held in the Diplomatic Archives, it is possible that they have been exhibited before. But I would like to confirm whether any of them have been exhibited for the first time, and respond later.

Note: None of the original documents featured in this special exhibition are being exhibited for the first time.