Marcos meets with new Japanese envoy

October 1, 2026

By ABOGADO.COM.PH Staff

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. received the credentials of Japanese Ambassador Kitagawa Katsuro during a ceremony at Malacañang on Thursday.

Kitagawa presented his credentials to Marcos, which was followed by a brief meeting to take stock of the robust relations between the two countries.

The Japanese envoy has held several senior positions at Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, such as Director-General of the European Affairs Bureau and Director-General of the Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Science Department.

He also served in Japanese diplomatic missions in France and the Republic of Korea.

During his meeting with the President, Kitagawa said he would work to further deepen the Philippines-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

“I shall exert every possible effort to further deepen our strategic partnership through the steady progress of cooperation in a wide range of areas such as security, economy, and people-to-people exchange,” the Japanese ambassador said.

For his part, Marcos acknowledged the longstanding relationship between the Philippines and Japan continues to grow even closer.

“The decades-long friendship between our two countries has reached a level never before seen in the history of our vibrant and dynamic relations. We hope to continue to foster this partnership for the benefit of both our countries and our peoples,” the President said.

The Philippines and Japan are marking seven decades of longstanding friendship this year and the elevation of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.