Japan’s newly-installed Prime Minister Sanae Takaicihi debuts at the world stage today with her first participation in the 2025 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where she held a bilateral meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and other leaders.
After her predecessor’s administration ended in just over a year, Takaichi is hoping to build long-term relations with other world leaders, starting with those from the now 11-member ASEAN bloc.
On Sunday in Kuala Lumpur, Takaichi, who was elected the first female head of the Japanese government only five days earlier, will attend a summit between Japan and the members of ASEAN.
East Timor, which officially became the latest ASEAN member on Sunday, is set to join the Japan-ASEAN meeting.
The Japanese government believes it is vital to build closer relations with countries in Southeast Asia, where key sea lanes are located.
Takaichi, a 64-year-old conservative, will also attend summit talks of the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC), a Japan-led decarbonization framework, the same day with Australia and nine of the ASEAN members, apart from Myanmar and East Timor.
Myanmar, which has been under military rule since a February 2021 coup, is not an AZEC member.
Takaichi was also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings Sunday with the Philippines, ASEAN’s current rotating chair Malaysia and Australia.
She is scheduled to return to Japan on Monday for U.S. President Donald Trump’s trip to Tokyo.
Takaichi and Trump agreed to strengthen the bilateral alliance during their first telephone talks Saturday.
The tenures of Japanese prime ministers have been short in recent years, though the Liberal Democratic Party has held power almost continuously since its founding in 1955.
