Saadet Gokce
09 April 2026•Update: 09 April 2026
Almost all NATO ambassadors are expected to make an unprecedented trip to Japan later this month, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported Thursday, to find out how Tokyo manages US demands while maintaining good relations with Washington.
“At a time when US President Donald Trump is growing increasingly frustrated with NATO, the organization appears eager to find ways to keep the US engaged,” said the report.
Japan is one of the US’ oldest military allies in the Asia-Pacific region, hosting more than 50,000 American troops, along with bases and other military assets.
It added that ambassadors from nearly all 32 member states of the bloc will join the trip, making the visit unprecedented in scale.
About 30 NATO ambassadors are expected to meet Japanese Cabinet ministers and discuss issues “such as how to deal with China, which has been strengthening military ties with Russia.”
The envoys will also meet business leaders to explore defense industry cooperation and visit a US base in Yokosuka in southern Tokyo.
The delegation is expected to visit South Korea as well, it added.
There has been no official confirmation about the visit, nor about the agenda of the expected delegation.
The Mission of Japan to NATO was inaugurated in January, 2025 in Brussels as an independent mission from the Embassy of Japan in Belgium.
