Philippine President Marcos Jr. starts Japan state visit

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrived in Tokyo on Tuesday for a four-day state visit, aiming to elevate bilateral ties with Japan across security, economic, and energy sectors. The visit, the first by a Philippine head of state since 2015, coincides with the 70th anniversary of normalized diplomatic relations between the two nations.

Upon arrival, President Marcos met with members of the Filipino community in Japan, which numbers approximately 340,000 people. The formal program began Wednesday morning with a welcoming ceremony at the Imperial Palace hosted by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, featuring a guard of honor and the playing of national anthems. Following a private audience with the imperial couple, President Marcos conferred upon the Emperor the Order of Lakandula with the rank of Supremo, while the First Lady presented the Empress with the Order of Gabriela Silang, the Philippines' highest civilian honors. In return, the Japanese imperial couple presented their nation's highest orders to the Philippine president and first lady.

The central diplomatic engagement of the visit is a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Officials stated the...