Japan launches independent mission to NATO as tensions with Russia, China and North Korea rise

TOKYO — Japan on Thursday formally inaugurated an independent mission to the NATO military alliance as Tokyo and NATO seek to bolster cooperation amid escalating tension from Russia, China and North Korea.

Previously, the Japanese embassy in Belgium also covered NATO. The new mission is led by Osamu Izawa, who takes over the role currently filled by the ambassador to Belgium, Masahiro Mikami.

In Tokyo on Thursday, Japan and NATO held high-level consultations to discuss regional security issues in East Asia and Europe, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and closer ties between Moscow and Beijing, NATO has deepened its links with Japan and three other Indo-Pacific partners, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea, though not as part of the military alliance.

Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has advocated a NATO-like security framework in Asia, though he has not given details.

Countries with shared security concerns are strengthening ties as competition escalates between the United States and China. Beijing has criticized NATO's growing ties with the Indo-Pacific partners, worried that Washington may move to form a NATO-like alliance in the region.