In brief
President Tomoko Akane met a bipartisan group of Japanese lawmakers at the ICC in The Hague, calling on Japan to maintain its financial backing and to push for the removal of U.S. sanctions that target ICC officials. The delegation, which included former defense minister Gen Nakatani and prime minister‑era Yoshihiko Noda, pledged continued support and urged Japanese officials to engage with the United States on the issue. While the meeting signaled a united front from Japan, the next steps from Tokyo and Washington remain uncertain.
The International Criminal Court President, Tomoko Akane, met Friday with a cross‑party delegation of Japanese lawmakers at the court’s headquarters in The Hague. She urged the group to maintain and deepen Japan’s support for the tribunal, even as the United States has imposed sanctions on her and other ICC officials. Akane was the first Japanese national to head the court, and Japan is the largest financial contributor to the ICC.
During the meeting, former defense minister Gen Nakatani of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and former prime minister Yoshihiko Noda, who was serving as a delegation member, joined the discussion. Noda said the plug‑in should “join forces across party lines” to support the ICC, underscoring Japan’s commitment to the rule of law despite the U.S. pressure. The delegation also highlighted that Japan has been sending ICC judges, including Akane, and has continued to provide significant funding.
Yasue Funayama, co‑head of the parliamentarians’ group, emphasized Japan’s role as a leader. She told reporters after the meeting, “I felt anew that Japan should take the lead in taking action toward the removal of the sanctions with a strong determination that our country should say what must be said to the United States because we are allies.”
“I felt anew that Japan should take the lead in taking action toward the removal of the sanctions with a strong determination that our country should say what must be said to the United States because we are allies.”
Japan’s top government spokesman, Minoru Kihara, said Tokyo is “considering what financial assistance it can provide to the organization” and that the country should “not waver when the ICC is facing a crisis.” Legally, the United States announced sanctions on Akane and other ICC officials in August, and imposed broader restrictions on the court in October of the previous year, citing concerns over sovereignty.
Sources from NHK World also reported that the bipartisan group of lawmakers had visited the ICC and pledged their support for the institution, noting the meeting as an important step in maintaining Japan’s back‑down on the U.S. sanctions. The visit was framed as a demonstration of cross‑party solidarity for the tribunal’s independence and the rule of law.
While the meeting signaled a united front from Japan, it remains unclear how much Japan will actually alter its stance toward the U.S. sanctions, what quantitative financial support will be offered, or whether any diplomatic pressure will successfully lift the restrictions. Further, the United States has not yet indicated whether it will reconsider its policy, and the ICC’s capacity to enforce compliance has also not been fully addressed. These questions continue to define the unresolved dynamics between the ICC, Japan, and the United States.
