Defense Minister Kishi inspects German frigate visiting Tokyo

Jiji Press

November 6, 2021

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi on Friday inspected the German frigate Bayern, which is visiting Tokyo.

The Bayern is the first German warship to visit Japan in 19 years. The move is aimed at strengthening the two countries’ cooperation in response to China’s increasing assertiveness.

The visit by the Bayern is intended to “show widely to the international community our strong determination to make active contributions to the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region,” Kishi told a news conference after the inspection.

The Bayern conducted joint drills with the Maritime Self-Defense Force for two days to Friday. The German frigate will also participate in monitoring activities against North Korea’s offshore ship-to-ship cargo transfers.