Last week the Japanese Embassy celebrated the 68th anniversary of their Self Defense Forces (SDF). At the official residence of Ambassador Koshikawa Kazuhiko, one of the most beautiful and tastefully decorated in Manila, members of the diplomatic and defense corps gathered to commemorate the anniversary.

It was an event that was well-attended, with some of the guests occupying the residence’s expansive gardens. Tents were placed outside to adjust to uncooperative weather while making for a cozier ambiance.

In his speech, the ambassador highlighted the golden age of strategic partnership between the two countries. Bilateral relations have gone to great lengths with Japan being the Philippines’ biggest provider of official development assistance (ODA), one of the top foreign investors, and is also involved in disaster relief and defense initiatives. More projects supported by Japan are currently underway, amounting to 1.4 trillion pesos.

Ambassador Koshikawa also touched on the importance of peace and the rule of law. First, in the war happening in Europe. “We all have to bear in mind that no country or region in the world can or should shrug this off as ‘someone else’s problem,’” he said. “It is a situation that shakes the very foundation of international order.”

This was followed by a strong statement on the importance of the 2016 arbitral ruling in favor of the Philippines, just days prior to its sixth anniversary. “Turning our eyes to the South China Sea, is international law being respected? Neither international law, in particular, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which all relevant parties agreed after years of dialogue and efforts, nor the 2016 award rendered by the Arbitral Tribunal under the said convention is being complied with.”

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo came out with a statement on July 12, on the ruling’s anniversary. The statement reaffirmed that the award “not only sets reason and right in the South China Sea, but is an inspiration for how matters should be considered… by states facing similarly challenging circumstances.” The statement continued to assert that the award’s findings are no longer up for debate and that the DFA denies any attempts to undermine or “erase it from law, history, and our collective memories.”

With the security environment becoming more “testing and uncertain,” Ambassador Koshikawa underscored the value of like-minded countries cooperating and why the Philippines remains to be one of Japan’s most reliable partners.

Department of National Defense (DND) officer-in-charge Undersecretary Jose Faustino Jr. also spoke at the event, assuring the listeners that DND and the Armed Forces will remain committed to strengthening bilateral relations with Japan under the current administration.

The event lasted well into the night with women of the Japanese embassy headed by the Ambassador’s wife, Madame Yuko, wearing some of the most beautiful kimonos. Some of the embassy officials, both men and women, meanwhile sported modern barongs.

‘We all have to bear in mind that no country or region in the world can or should shrug this off as “someone else’s problem.” It is a situation that shakes the very foundation of international order.’

Remembering Abe, a friend to the Philippines

The morning following the SDF anniversary event, news of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe being shot as he campaigned on the streets of Nara shocked everyone. The irony of such a crime happening in a country with some of the strictest gun laws is not lost to the world.

Japan’s longest-serving prime minister died a little past five in the afternoon, after hours of fighting for his life. He was 67. With his death, the Philippines also lost one of its closest friends so it was no surprise that social media was filled with tributes to Abe.

He was a towering figure in Japanese politics, well-known for economic reforms under his administration called “Abenomics.” Japan’s partners will always remember him fondly. At the height of tensions in the West Philippine Sea, under then President Benigno Aquino Jr., Abe committed 10 patrol boats to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to help patrol Philippine waters. Abe was also the first foreign leader to visit the Philippines under then President Rodrigo Duterte who expressed deep sympathy to Abe’s family over his untimely death, remembering him as “a good and loyal friend” and a “strong ally of the nation.” President Marcos lamented Japan’s loss of a “visionary leader who saw Japan through its most difficult times,” adding that it was under Abe’s leadership that the relationship between the two countries flourished.

Abe is survived by his wife, Mme. Akie Abe, who was often called the country’s “domestic opposition.” Best known for being outspoken about her progressive views that would sometimes clash with that of her husband’s, she lost a husband and an intellectual partner. She faded from public view when her husband finished his last term as PM. His death, however, has thrust her back into the spotlight and one couldn’t help but feel a sad sense of admiration for how she’s been holding up. composed and dignified in the face of utter grief.