This is Ishiba’s inaugural visit after assuming office in October last year.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim received Ishiba upon his arrival at 9am, after which the national anthems of both countries were played.

Ishiba then inspected a guard of honour mounted by three officers and 103 members of the First Battalion of the Royal Ranger Regiment before proceeding to a meeting with Anwar.

In a statement yesterday, Wisma Putra said that Anwar and Ishiba were expected to review the progress of Malaysia-Japan bilateral relations, particularly in areas such as trade and investment, human resource development, and energy cooperation.

They are also expected to exchange views on various regional and international issues of common interest, including the situation in the Middle East, before holding a joint press conference.

Anwar will also host a luncheon at the Seri Perdana complex in honour of his visiting Japanese counterpart.

Malaysia’s ties with Japan have grown from strength to strength with the elevation of bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership in December 2023.

Japan is a key economic partner for Malaysia, with a total of 2,821 manufacturing projects involving Japanese participation implemented in Malaysia as of June 2024.

These projects represent investments worth RM105.2 billion (US$30.4 billion) and have generated employment for approximately 344,996 people.

Japan is Malaysia’s fourth-largest trading partner, with total trade valued at RM156.75 billion (US$34.41 billion) in 2023.

Japan is also the fourth-largest foreign investor in Malaysia’s manufacturing sector.