Chancellor Merz Plans First Visit to Japan in October

The German and Japanese governments are arranging a maiden visit by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to Japan at the end of October. The meeting is likely to focus on security issues, according to a diplomatic source on Tuesday. Chancellor Merz and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi are expected to discuss the development of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) and the strengthening of defence cooperation, the source said. Both countries share concerns about security risks in Europe due to Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, the impact of warfare in the Middle East, and China’s increasingly assertive posture in the Indo-Pacific region. Merz, who took office in May 2025, is expected to visit Japan on 28 October, the source said. He is then scheduled to depart for South Korea on 29 October to attend a German business forum in the Asia-Pacific region. Germany, which has been steadily enhancing its defence capabilities since the outbreak of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, is exploring broader cooperation with Japan. The country views the security of the European and Indo-Pacific regions as interconnected, amid concerns over support from China and North Korea for Russia’s military activities in Ukraine. Meanwhile, under Takaichi’s leadership, Japan is seeking to accelerate the build-up of its defence forces in response to the increasingly alarming security situation in East Asia. Japan’s first female prime minister is known for her firm stance and strong convictions on defence and national protection. In the private sector, cooperation between Japanese and European companies on drone technology development is also on the rise. Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd., one of Japan’s largest defence contractors, announced in late June that it had signed a memorandum of understanding to develop defence drones with a subsidiary of Airbus SE, Europe’s largest aerospace company.