In brief
Japanese lawmakers gathered at the International Criminal Court to discuss support for the tribunal, while ICC President Tomoko Akane called on Japan to lead efforts to lift U.S. sanctions. The delegation highlighted Japan’s financial and judicial contributions and pledged to work across party lines to defend the court’s legitimacy.
The International Criminal Court headquarters in The Hague welcomed a cross‑party delegation of Japanese lawmakers on Friday, where President Tomoko Akane sought renewed backing for the tribunal following U.S. sanctions that target her and other ICC officials.
Akane, Japan’s first national to head the institution, opened the meeting by underscoring the nation’s role as the largest financial contributor and its steady supply of judges to the court, including herself. She reminded the lawmakers that the U.S. had sanctioned the ICC in August and followed up on October when the Trump administration accused the court of encroaching on state sovereignty.
Acting on these concerns, Yasue Funayama, who co‑heads the parliamentarians’ group with former Defense Minister Gen Nakatani of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, spoke to reporters after the meeting. She said:
"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."
Funayama added that the delegation wanted Japan to do its part and to communicate directly with Washington about the sanctions. In response to Akane’s call for concrete action from United Nations member states, Japan’s top government spokesman Minoru Kihara said the country was considering additional financial assistance to the ICC.
Former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, who was part of the delegation, noted that Japan has long advocated for rule of law and should not waver when the court faces a crisis. He pledged that lawmakers would work across party lines to defend the tribunal’s legitimacy.
In line with Akane’s appeal, a separate announcement from NHK World‑News reported that a bipartisan group of Japanese lawmakers had also visited the ICC in the Netherlands and pledged their support for the institution. The visit came a short time after the first meeting with Akane and reinforced Japan’s commitment to the court’s work.
Together, the meetings underscore Japan’s willingness to counter U.S. pressure and to strengthen the ICC’s standing on the world stage. The country’s financial and judicial contributions remain central to the tribunal’s operations, and its lawmakers have pledged to act in solidarity with the institution’s mission of upholding international justice.
