Details
From June 29 to July 5, 2026, the Federal Executive Board of the Junge Union traveled to Japan to deepen German-Japanese relations through direct exchanges with representatives from politics, business, and academia. The visit program, organized by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung's Japan Office, took the delegation to Tokyo and Hiroshima and offered a dense sequence of insights into current economic, social, and security-policy issues.
The trip began with an introduction to Japan's domestic and foreign policy situation at the office of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, followed by a discussion round on social security systems and migration with Japanese politicians and experts. How much demographic change is challenging both societies was a topic of discussion during the evening exchange with German-speaking representatives of several institutions and companies based in Tokyo.
A political highlight of the program was the visit to the Japanese parliament: in the House of Representatives, the delegation held a high-level discussion with Minoru KIUCHI, Minister in charge of Japan's growth strategy and chairman of the Japan-Germany Parliamentary Friendship Group, along with other members of parliament. To shed light on the economic dimension of the partnership, the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan (AHK) then briefed the delegation. The security-policy core component of the trip was explored in greater depth that evening at the Hotel New Otani: a panel of experts analyzed the interplay between NATO and Indo-Pacific security, with a focus on energy and supply-chain security, before the day concluded with an evening reception.
Thursday's trip to Hiroshima set an emotional tone and touched on the politics of historical memory. In addition to a tour of the Peace Memorial Museum and a courtesy visit with Mayor Kazumi MATSUI, the delegation laid a wreath at the memorial for the atomic bomb victims. Questions of remembrance culture, peace, and international responsibility were also central to an exchange with Prefectural Governor Mika YOKOTA, as well as at the subsequent dinner with scholars from Hiroshima University and the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation. A moving highlight was the joint conversation with atomic bomb survivor (hibakusha) Keiko OGURA.
Back in Tokyo, the visit to the German Industry Park in Yokohama focused on entrepreneurial and labor-market issues. The managing directors of TRUMPF and BASF Japan briefed the JU Federal Executive Board on their business areas, the demands placed on research and development, and the quality standards required in the Japanese market. At the invitation of Ambassador Petra Sigmund, the delegation also attended a lunch reception at her residence. A discussion with journalists about political developments following the 2026 House of Representatives election, held at the office of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, rounded out the visit program.
The stay gave the Junge Union's Federal Executive Board valuable insights into Japan's political, economic, and social developments and made an important contribution to deepening German-Japanese dialogue.
