The 70th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces

By: Doaa Mohamed

The Japanese Embassy in Cairo held a celebration marking the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. The event was attended by the Japanese Ambassador to Cairo, Oka Hiroshi, his wife, and many ambassadors, diplomats, and media professionals.

In his speech, Ambassador Oka Hiroshi mentioned that after World War II, Japan fully joined the United Nations in 1956 and has continued to work for peace and stability in the world as a peace-loving nation.

This year also marks the 70th anniversary of Japan and Egypt’s development cooperation, which began in 1954. Over the past 70 years, Japan has made significant contributions in a wide range of fields, including infrastructure and education.

The training ship “Aida 4,” donated by Japan to the Arab Academy for Maritime Transport, has trained more than 1,300 crew members from 37 countries in the Middle East and Africa, including Djibouti, contributing to the safety of navigation for over 30 years.

Building on this long-standing friendship based on mutual trust, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Prime Minister Kishida, during the latter’s visit to Egypt last year, agreed to upgrade the relationship between the two countries to a “strategic partnership” and to strengthen cooperation between them.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdel Aty visited Japan to participate in the Ministerial Conference of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), hosted by Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa.

The two foreign ministers agreed to strengthen cooperation for peace and stability in the Middle East and Africa as strategic partners.

Ambassador Oka expressed deep gratitude to the Egyptian government for its support, including the airlift provided by the Egyptian army, which enabled the successful evacuation of Japanese citizens and their families from Gaza.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of so many precious lives in the Gaza war, which has lasted for more than 11 months. We would like to express our heartfelt condolences.”

As a member of the United Nations Security Council, the Japanese government will continue to actively participate in diplomatic efforts and humanitarian assistance to achieve an immediate ceasefire.

To improve the humanitarian situation for Palestinians, Japan has provided nearly $130 million in humanitarian aid since the start of the Gaza war, including in-kind assistance from the Japanese government under international peace cooperation law and JICA, as well as aid through international organizations. This includes a contribution of $32 million to UNRWA.

In addition, Japan is providing $8.3 million in grants through the World Health Organization to support medical systems in Egypt, which is accepting Palestinians for medical treatment. Japan will continue to work with international partners, including the Egyptian Red Crescent.

On behalf of the Japanese government, I would like to express my deep gratitude and respect for Egypt’s efforts t

oward peace in the region.”