Tokyo Steps Up: Iwaya’s Central Asia Tour Signals Japan’s Long-Term Commitment

Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya made a landmark trip to Central Asia from August 24–28, 2025, holding talks in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Tokyo framed the visit as a bid to deepen bilateral ties and revive the Central Asia plus Japan leaders’ summits. The visit fulfilled commitments made by then-Prime Minister Kishida, who had planned a similar tour in 2024 before cancelling at the last minute due to a domestic earthquake alert. Strategic Engagement Iwaya’s visit reflects Tokyo’s long-standing, multifaceted approach to Central Asia. Analysts emphasized to The Times of Central Asia that Japan is pursuing “trust-building diplomacy” in the region, focusing on human capital, infrastructure, and governance rather than quick geopolitical wins. Tokyo inaugurated the Central Asia plus Japan Dialogue format in 2004, making it the first outside power to group all five Central Asian republics within a single framework. As Professor Timur Dadabaev of Tsukuba University told The Times of Central Asia, Tokyo is seen “not as a competing hegemon, but as a partner that invests in the region’s human capital, infrastructure, and governance in ways that reinforce independence.” This approach contrasts with what has been characterized as the transactional models of other powers. On August 25, Iwaya met with Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu in Astana, marking his first official visit to the country. The talks underscored both sides’ commitment to strengthening ties as strategic partners and in upholding a “free and open international order based on the rule of law.” The ministers welcomed active exchanges and pledged to expand cooperation in trade, investment, mineral resources, disaster prevention, and nuclear non-proliferation. They also announced plans to accelerate preparations for the long-delayed Central Asia plus Japan summit. [caption id="attachment_35524" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya with Kazakh Foreign Minister Nurtleu in Astana after their meeting on August 25, 2025; image Japan MOFA[/caption] In Tashkent, Iwaya echoed this message, calling Uzbekistan “an important strategic partner,” and highlighting the first-ever foreign ministers’ strategic dialogue held there. Japanese officials also stressed their policy does not aim to pressure Central Asian partners on sensitive issues. Characterizing Japan as a “catalyst to promote interconnectivity and inter-regional cooperation,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Toshihiro Kitamura stated that Tokyo does not see a zero-sum “competition between Japan and other countries. We would like to see Central Asian countries work together with other parts of the world.” In Tashkent, Kitamura explicitly noted that while Japan condemns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it will not pressure Uzbekistan or others to take the same stance. “The relationship between Russia and the Central Asian countries is a very delicate issue. Each country should take into account the relations it establishes with other countries. Even if it is with Russia, such relations do not affect the relations of other countries with Japan,” Kitamura stated. Bilateral Agreements In Kazakhstan, Iwaya held high-level talks with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Foreign Minister Nurtleu. Tokayev welcomed Japan as a “reliable and close partner in Asia” and said ties are “developing dynamically.” The sides agreed to...

Bridges, Not Blocs: Japan’s Central Asia Approach

Japan is one of the countries that has been most active in recent years in terms of deepening political and economic relations with the republics of Central Asia. However, the geopolitical and ideological grounds for Tokyo's activism have received less attention than those of other countries. In early August 2024, then Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was scheduled to visit the region, but the visit was cancelled at the last minute due to the risk of a major earthquake that could have struck Japan at that time. During his visit, Kishida was also expected to announce the launch of an economic aid package for the Central Asian republics. As confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya is visiting the region over the coming days, landing in Kazakhstan on August 24, before moving on to Uzbekistan until August 28. In the two countries, he will meet with his Kazakh and Uzbek counterparts, Murat Nurtleu and Bakhtiyor Saidov, respectively, with the aim in both cases of strengthening bilateral relations. Japan's interest in Central Asia is long-standing: the Central Asia Plus Japan Dialogue format was launched back in 2004, a platform that has been emulated by several countries in the following years. From a political point of view, this is a very smooth relationship, as confirmed to The Times of Central Asia by Timur Dadabaev, Professor of International Relations at the University of Tsukuba. “Japan’s engagement with Central Asia is driven less by immediate material gain and more by its pursuit of trust-building diplomacy,” Dadabaev told TCA. “It is a relationship rooted in Japan’s desire to be seen as a reliable, non-imperial partner that supports the sovereignty, stability, and regional agency of Central Asian states. Unlike other powers, Japan positions itself as a ‘distant neighbor without hidden agendas,’ which makes its initiatives particularly well-received. Over the years, this has translated into Japan being perceived not as a competing hegemon, but as a partner that invests in the region’s human capital, infrastructure, and governance in ways that reinforce independence rather than dependence.” The relationship between Japan and the Central Asian republics is based on many concrete elements - cooperation on energy, migrant workers, and connectivity - which, as Tomohiko Uyama, Professor of Modern History and Politics of Central Asia at Slavic-Eurasian Research Center at the Hokkaido University pointed out to TCA, represent the basis for broader diplomatic engagement. “The relationship between Japan and Central Asia is based on geopolitical factors. For Japan, Central Asia is a region that shares troublesome neighbors, Russia and China,” Uyama said. “Increasing Japan's presence in this region is important for curbing the excessive expansion of China and Russia’s global influence. However, strengthening diplomatic relations requires fostering economic and human relations. Therefore, in addition to its traditional technical cooperation, Japan is seeking to promote decarbonization, transportation connectivity, and human resource development.” Professor Dadabaev also stresses that the two dimensions - the one linked more to concrete elements and the one that has more to...