President William Lai honored veteran Japanese lawmaker Keiji Furuya for strengthening Taiwan-Japan relations over several decades. The ceremony took place at the Presidential Office, marking recognition of his longstanding diplomatic contributions. Lai awarded Furuya the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon during the event.
Furuya currently leads the Japan-Taiwan Diet Members’ Consultative Council, representing 323 lawmakers across party lines. Since 1990, he has served in Japan’s House of Representatives as a senior Liberal Democratic Party member. According to Lai, Furuya has consistently driven efforts to deepen Taiwan-Japan relations meaningfully.
Notably, Furuya helped arrange National Palace Museum exhibitions in Japan, expanding cultural exchange opportunities. Additionally, he advocated allowing Taiwanese spouses to list Taiwan, rather than China, in Japanese records. Earlier this year, his council renamed itself, replacing Republic of China references with Taiwan specifically.
While accepting the honor, Furuya pledged to continue promoting friendly exchanges between both nations. However, his frequent visits to Taiwan, including one in early March, drew Beijing’s attention. Consequently, Chinese authorities announced sanctions against Furuya in April this year.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Furuya of collaborating with separatist forces within Taiwan. Furthermore, officials claimed his visits defied China’s repeated objections regarding Taiwan’s sovereignty status. Nevertheless, Furuya stated the sanctions carried no real impact on his life.
Since he holds no assets in China and hasn’t visited in decades, restrictions proved meaningless. He further argued it seemed contradictory for China to sanction visitors while claiming Taiwan’s territory. According to Furuya, such measures reflect Beijing’s broader pattern of coercive diplomatic pressure.
Moving forward, Furuya emphasized that democratic partners should continue strengthening cooperation despite external pressure. Both Taiwan and Japan share core values, including democracy, human rights and legal governance. Therefore, this recognition signals continued momentum in advancing Taiwan-Japan relations going forward.
