Mrs. KISHIDA Yuko, thespouse of the prime
minister, attending theofficial ASEAN Summit
Spouse Program together
with the other first ladies.
They watched a skit
performed by children, aswellas
traditional
Indonesian dances and aworkshop on the country’s
traditional arts and crafts,
experiencing the diversityof each area of Indonesia.

Left: Prime Minister Kishida attended the 26th ASEAN-Japan Summit on September 6, 2023. The summit was held in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, which currently
chairs ASEAN. Top Right: Securing a sustainable and stable power supply is vital for regional economic development. The photo shows the Nam Ngum 1 Hydropower
Station in Laos, expanded with Japan’s help. Bottom Right: Japan is helping to develop human resources in a wide range of fields, supporting those who will take the lead innation-building in ASEAN countries. The photo shows participants in a program that invites people to Japan to learn how to combat marine plastic waste. GUUN CO., LTD.

A GOLDEN FRIENDSHIP,
GOLDEN OPPORTUNITIES:THE FUTURE OF JAPAN AND ASEAN

The year 2023 is the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation.
During that past half century, the global situation has changed significantly, withJapan-ASEAN relations entering a new phase. This milestone year is an opportunity
to reflect on the past 50 years and set out the vision for the new era.
The Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN) wasestablished in 1967 for thepurpose of regional peace andeconomic growth. The number ofmember states has gradually risen
from the original five—Indonesia,Malaysia,
thePhilippines,
Thailand, and Singapore—to the
10-country system we see today.

In the meantime, ASEAN has
strengthened its intra-regional
integration in the fields of politics
and security, the economy, andsociety and culture, including thesigning of the ASEAN Free Trade
Agreement and the ASEAN
Charter.
Japan and ASEAN have built
and strengthened friendly andThe official logo for the 50th
anniversary of ASEAN-Japan
Friendship and Cooperation. A
logo by a Japanese creator and thecatchphrase “Golden Friendship,Golden Opportunities” by aFilipino creator were selected forthe contest, which was open to all
nationals of ASEAN Member
States and Japan.

cooperative relations in various
fields since first engaging in adialogue on synthetic rubber
in 1973. Through people-topeople exchanges, Japan andASEAN have established the“heart-to-heart” mutual trustand confidence advocated in
the Fukuda Doctrine in 1977,
working together as partners forpeace and stability, as well as fordevelopment and prosperity inthe region. In particular, Japan’s
assistance to ASEAN, whichemphasizes the developmentof human resources and thecreation of organizations, hasgreatly contributed to the nationbuilding and growth of the group’smember states.
The year 2023 is the 50th Yearof ASEAN-Japan Friendship andCooperation. Prior to that, anexpert panel from academic andbusiness communities establishedin Japan presented three pillars
for building a new Japan-ASEAN
partnership in their report tothe government, namely: (1)shaping a regional order whichis free, open, rules-based, andfair; (2) building a society which
fulfills economic prosperity,sustainability, and equity; and,(3) mutual understanding andtrust as the platform for a renewed

ASEAN-Japan partnership.
Over the past half century,
ASEAN countries have achieved
remarkable economic growth,
and Japan has newly proposed
pillars that emphasize fairness.
“What Japan should emphasize
in its work with ASEAN is thesetting of rules and standards inline with fairness, while facing
common challenges that reflect
the regional realities especially inthe areas of human development,
energy and digital technology,”
said Associate Professor AIZAWA
Nobuhiro of Kyushu University,a researcher on Southeast Asiaand member of the expert panel.
“We need to understand that therelationship between Japan and
ASEAN is precious. We have
50 years of friendship; we areblessed with a broad and dense
network. But at the same time,
we need to transform and renewthis relationship very quickly as
challenges are pressing. Japan
will actively engage with new
emerging social forces in ASEAN,
especially with those from theyounger generation. The trust
we have is a major advantage
for working together in times of
unpredictable global changes.”
In March, Prime Minister
Kishida announced a new plan

for a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific(FOIP)” and clearly identified
Southeast Asia as an importantregion. He also announced a newcontribution of 100 million dollars
to the Japan-ASEAN Integration
Fund (JAIF). In addition, at theASEAN-Indo-Pacific Forum heldin September, the prime ministerannounced the Japan-ASEAN
Comprehensive
Connectivity
Initiative, under which Japan
indicated that it intends to expand
the scope of cooperation tostrengthen connectivity in a wide
range of fields, including transport
infrastructure development, digitalconnectivity, maritime cooperation,
supply chain resilience, electricity
connectivity, and human andknowledge connectivity.
Concluding the 50th Yearof ASEAN-Japan Friendship
and Cooperation, the ASEANJapan Commemorative Summit
will be held for three days,
from December 16 through 18,
2023. It is hoped that Japan andASEAN will further strengthen
their friendly and cooperativerelationship.
Associate Professor AIZAWA Nobuhiro ofKyushu University’s Department of CulturalStudies, Graduate School of Integrated
Sciences for Global Society. He specializes inIndonesian politics, Thai politics, urbanizationand politics, and Chinese people living
overseas in Southeast Asia. He is also a memberof the expert panel for the 50th Year ofASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation.