On June 25, 2026, PRIF welcomed the Japanese Consul General in Frankfurt, Takeshi ITO, and Vice Consul Maiko OKUNO. He shared insights on the direction and current developments in Japan’s Foreign Policy and engaged in conversation with PRIF staff.
After being welcomed by Board Member Jonas Wolff, ITO addressed the vision of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” (FOIP) region based on free markets and the Rule of Law, which was established as the core principle of Japanese Foreign Policy in 2016. In his presentation, he explained how Japan’s FOIP vision has developed and re-adjusted over the past decade, and how it is applied in the world today. Furthermore, facing the current global situation, the Consul General emphasized how closely intertwined Euro-Atlantic security and security in the Indo-Pacific region are. Against this backdrop, he expressed the value of close co-operation between Germany and Japan, which he views as partners based on shared fundamental values such as democracy, human rights and rule of law.
In the subsequent exchange, the institute’s Researchers addressed questions on the region and received the Consul General’s insights on how Japan views current political developments and how it is affected by ongoing conflicts.
