Defense & Security

Japan to Host 3rd Pacific Islands Defense Meeting from Sunday through Tuesday

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi talks to reporters at Camp Yonaguni on Yonaguni Island in Okinwawa Prefecture in November.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:32 JST, February 21, 2026

The government will host a conference of defense ministers from Japan and 14 Pacific island nations from Sunday through Tuesday in Tokyo.

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Friday at a press conference that Tokyo will host the Japan Pacific Islands Defense Dialogue (JPIDD).

The conference is expected to see a record 28 participating nations, expanding for the first time to include seven member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, such as the Philippines.

The gathering will be the first since 2024 and the third overall. With China in mind, Japan aims to bolster defense cooperation with the island nations. Koizumi is expected to deliver a keynote speech on Monday.

On Tuesday, the defense ministers and other representatives plan to visit the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Yokosuka Base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, to inspect destroyers and such.