Marcos to fly to Japan for state visit as defense ties deepen
· philstarMANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will undertake a state visit to Japan from Monday, May 26 to May 29, Malacañang announced Friday, April 24.
The visit, upon the invitation of the Japanese government, comes as both countries mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
Marcos and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos will be received by the Emperor and Empress at the Imperial Palace for a welcome ceremony and a state call, according to the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines.
The president is also scheduled to hold a summit meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to discuss the Philippines-Japan partnership, including cooperation on energy, food and maritime security.
He is also set to meet Japanese business groups and members of the Filipino community during the visit.
Broader defense ties
The trip comes as Manila and Tokyo moved to steadily expand their cooperation on security and energy, among other areas, in recent years.
Japan is participating in the ongoing 2026 Balikatan exercises alongside the Philippines, the United States and other partners, having increased their presence to a formidable 1,400 personnel to the drills this year. It would become Japan's first combat role in the Philippines since its World War II occupation.
Last year, the two sides have also signed a Reciprocal Access Agreement, which allows their forces to deploy to each other's territory for joint exercises and other activities.
Beyond defense, Japan remains one of the Philippines’ top economic and development partners, with cooperation spanning infrastructure, trade and energy.
Previous visits. Marcos has already conducted visits to Japan as president, though not a state visit. In February 2023, Marcos met with then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for bilateral talks. He then returned for a working visit to Tokyo in December that year for the ASEAN-Japan Summit.
In 2025, Marcos traveled to Osaka for another working visit tied to the Expo and focusing on trade and investment.
The last state visit to Japan by a Philippine president was in 2015 under Benigno Aquino III. A state visit is the highest level of diplomatic engagement, this time hosted by the Japanese emperor himself.