On September 17-18, 2025, the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA), together with the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA), co-hosted the 18th Japan-Singapore Symposium in Tokyo.
At the closed-door roundtable on September 17, candid discussions were held on three themes: (1) Regional political and security evolution amid global turmoil; (2) Enhancing mutual understanding and functional cooperation as the foundation of Japan-ASEAN relations; and (3) Economic cooperation and supply chain resilience amid uncertainty.
The public forum on September 18, titled "Japan-Singapore Cooperation in a World Remade," opened with remarks from the JSS Co-Chairs, Amb. Kenichiro Sasae, President of JIIA, and Mr. Ashok Mirpuri, Head of International Policy & Governance at Temasek International. Keynote addresses were then delivered by Mr. Taro Kono, Member of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the Japan-Singapore Parliamentary Friendship League, and Ms. Akiko Ikuina, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, from the Japanese side. From Singapore, Ms. Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs, contributed a recorded video of her address, which had originally been delivered at the September 17 roundtable.
During the panel discussion, moderated by Co-Chair Sasae, presentations were made by Amb. Takio Yamada, Executive Fellow at JIIA and Japan's inaugural Ambassador to ASEAN / former Ambassador to Vietnam; Prof. Simon Tay, Chairman of SIIA; Dr. Tomoo Kikuchi, Professor at the Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies, Waseda University; and Mr. Adrian Ng, Director-General (Asia, Middle East and Africa), Ministry of Trade and Industry of Singapore.
This was followed by comments from Co-Chair Mirpuri, who posed a question in light of the upcoming 60th anniversary of Japan-Singapore diplomatic relations in 2026: In which areas can the two countries engage in proactive and substantive cooperation to uphold the international order? Issues highlighted included security, digital, green transition, trade, and finance. Participants also discussed the potential for Japan-Singapore collaboration to serve as a channel for extending cooperation beyond the region, to partners such as the EU and India.
The forum was attended by a large audience, including members of the diplomatic corps from ASEAN countries as well as representatives from the business community. An active Q&A session with the floor further deepened the lively exchange of views.