TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Monday awarded the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon to Furuya Keiji, chair of the Japan-Taiwan Diet Members’ Consultative Council, for his contributions to strengthening Taiwan-Japan relations.
Taiwan-Japan relations have deepened over generations through exchanges, shared hardships, and mutual trust, Lai said, per the Presidential Office. He said Furuya has worked hard to advance Taiwan-Japan relations, including promoting Taiwan’s participation in international organizations and rectifying how Taiwanese nationals are recorded in Japan’s family registry system.
Regardless of global changes, Taiwan and Japan will always be each other’s most reliable partners, Lai said. He expressed confidence that, with Furuya’s support, both countries will continue cooperation and contribute to regional peace and prosperity.
Furuya said he was deeply honored to receive the award, calling it the highest distinction he had received as council chair. He said the group, which was renamed in June, includes 323 lawmakers from across party lines.
Furuya added that former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo’s “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” strategy has become a key framework for maintaining peace and stability among countries that share common values. He said deeper Taiwan-Japan cooperation would help diversify risks, strengthen economic security, and enhance global supply chain resilience.
Furuya said he hoped to expand cooperation with Taiwan in semiconductors, AI, and robotics to create a win-win partnership.
