History and current events are coming together this week in the Philippines. The emperor of Japan is in the country on an official visit to mark sixty years of diplomatic relations. But the visit is also a reminder of some history that lingers. HPR’s Bill Dorman has more in today’s Asia Minute.
The last time Emperor Akihito was in Manila, it was 1962. He was crown prince, then-Senator Ferdinand Marcos was three years from becoming president, and the two countries were just six years into their post-war diplomatic relations.
Today, Japan is the largest trade partner of the Philippines---making up about 15% of the country’s overall trade. Japan has also been the largest contributor of overseas development assistance to the Philippines… and has become a key security ally. During the war, Japan occupied the Philippines for three years…starting its invasion ten hours after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
This week, the emperor and empress will visit memorials for both Filipino and Japanese war dead. There are no plans to meet with women forced into sexual slavery during the war. Nearly 25 years ago, a group of 174 former so-called “comfort women” in the Philippines formed a group to lobby for reparations…today 70 remain alive. The group has asked Philippine President Benigno Aquino to raise the issue with the emperor.
Just two months ago, Aquino was in Tokyo…where Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced Japan will send new patrol boats and other military equipment to the Philippines. Both countries face maritime territorial disputes with China.
