Japanese statesman, longest-serving prime minister (2012–2020) and LDP leader.
Since October, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has pushed a rapid reorientation of Japan's postwar posture: her government has eased lethal-weapons export rules, the ruling party has opened formal talks on revising the pacifist constitution, and Tokyo has expanded defence ties and arms sales with partners including Australia and potential buyers such as the Philippines and Poland.
Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi has deepened engagement with Vietnam and Australia, pledging energy and security cooperation as China’s influence and regional tensions rise. The visit outlines measures to bolster oil supply, critical minerals, infrastructure, and space cooperation, while reaffirming peaceful dispute resolution in the South China Sea.
Kono has died at 89. He helped shape Japan's wartime apology with the 1993 Kono Statement and the 1995 Murayama apology, influencing regional ties with China and Korea. Conservatives have since challenged those acknowledgments. The former cabinet secretary and LDP chief warned against whitewashing history as relations with neighbors fray.