PRESS CONFERENCE
Hayashi Yoshimasa, Foreign Minister
June 2, Friday, 16:30-17:10 (Press Conference)
(The speech and Q & A will be in English.)
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said his country faces the most difficult and complex national security environment since World War Two. The painful effects of Russia's war on Ukraine are being felt around the globe, North Korea has fired a barrage of missiles this year, China's might continues to grow and tensions simmer between Beijing and Japan's only formal military ally, the US, especially over Taiwan.
By the side of the premier as he steers his government through the minefield of diplomatic policy is Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, a Kennedy school graduate and former defense minister often mentioned as a potential future prime minister himself. Elected to parliament's lower house for the first time in 2021 after years in the upper house, he's now eighteen months into the top foreign policy job. He has helped oversee a drastic improvement in ties between Japan and South Korea, and a successful Group of Seven summit, but his to-do list remains long. Come and hear from one of the few fluent English speakers at the top level of Japanese politics about how Japan will deal with the myriad of challenges it faces, including how to maintain stable ties with China amid disputes over everything from trade to territory, and whether a face-to-face meeting between Kishida and North Korea's Kim Jong Un could really be on the cards.
How to attend:
Please register at front@fccj.or.jp with your name, the name of your media outlet, and FCCJ membership number. Due to space restrictions attendance will be limited. Doors open 15 minutes before the event. Please sign in, giving your name and contact details at the reception, and have your temperature taken before proceeding.
How to watch online: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCCJchannel/live
Livestreaming of the press events will be available and video of this event will be uploaded to our FCCJ YouTube channel.
How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/EQ7a46C3qmqJKs8Y7
Members watching the event online can submit questions for the speakers in advance using this submission form.
TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews only at 30 minutes before the event.
Professional Activities Committee