TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Saturday called for a stronger US-Japan alliance at a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima, attended by new US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
“I’d like to pay my respects to the souls who fought on Iwo Jima and renew our pledge to peace,” Ishiba said at the joint memorial on the remote Pacific island, 1,250km south of Tokyo. “Let us raise the US-Japan alliance, which brings peace and prosperity to the world, to new heights.”
The battle, a pivotal World War II clash, claimed nearly all of Japan’s 21,000 troops and over 6,800 US lives. The iconic image of US Marines raising the Stars and Stripes on the island remains one of the most enduring photos of the war.
Today, the island—renamed Iwo-To—is off-limits to civilians as recovery efforts for war remains continue.
Japan’s government said the ceremony symbolised “post-war reconciliation” and a shared commitment to future peace.
Defence Minister Gen Nakatani, who also attended, is set to hold talks with Hegseth in Tokyo on Sunday, expected to focus on regional threats and strengthening deterrence.
With 54,000 US troops stationed in Japan, mostly in Okinawa, the alliance remains central to Indo-Pacific security.
Japan is moving away from its pacifist posture, adopting counterstrike capabilities and pledging to double military spending to 2 per cent of GDP.
But US officials could push for more—Trump’s Pentagon nominee Elbridge Colby has suggested Japan should spend 3 per cent.
“We have a great relationship with Japan,” Trump said this month. “But we protect them—they don’t protect us. Who makes these deals?” – AFP
