Takeo Akiba and the Shifting Landscape of Japanese Diplomacy

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Secretary-general of Japan's National Security Secretariat (NSS) Takeo Akiba has been a key actor in shaping Japan's foreign and security policies. On January 8, The Sankei Shimbun learned that Akiba would soon be stepping down. Days later, it was announced that Vice Foreign Minister Masataka Okano would replace Akiba as secretary-general of the NSS. The appointment took effect on January 20.

Both Akiba and his predecessor, Shigeru Kitamura, were participants in the first Japan-North Korea summit meeting in September 2002. Prime Minister (at the time) Junichiro Koizumi led the summit. Both officials were also involved in subsequent Japan-North Korea negotiations. Kitamura retired in 2021.

There is growing concern within government circles about losing such experienced figures from its nerve center.

Koizumi's North Korea Delegation

As head of the National Police Agency's (NPA) Foreign Affairs Division, Kitamura was responsible for investigations related to North Korea's abduction of Japanese citizens.

In November 2016, he led an NPA team to Pyongyang for the third Japan-North Korea working-level consultations. However, North Korea said that Megumi Yokota had already died and handed over what they claimed were her remains to Japan as "proof" of her death. However, forensic analysis, in which Kitamura was involved, revealed that the remains belonged to unrelated individuals.

*Megumi Yokota, dressed in her mother's kimono, poses for a commemorative photo in front of their home. Ten months later, she was abducted by North Korean agents. January 1977, Niigata City.*

Akiba was head of the Treaty Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) at the time. He accompanied Koizumi on his first trip to North Korea. Therefore, he was present for the signing of the Japan-North Korea Pyongyang Declaration by the leaders of both nations.

Additionally, Akiba made three trips to Pyongyang to negotiate with North Korea's Treaty Bureau chief and other officials on the text of the declaration.

Decline of Key Diplomats

Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who played a central role in Japan-North Korea negotiations, was tragically assassinated in July 2022. With his passing, the number of key figures who experienced those dynamic and intense negotiations is rapidly dwindling. One can only hope that this will not cast a shadow over future negotiations on the abductions issue.

The first time this reporter spoke with Akiba was during the Yasuo Fukuda administration. At the time, Akiba was director of the China Division within the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau at the MOFA.

During that first meeting, Akiba suddenly asked me, "What kind of country do you want Japan to be?" I was a bit taken aback but replied, "I want to see it be a normal country." What he said next left a profound and lasting impression on me: "As for me, I want to see the Constitution revised." I was astounded that a diplomat would say something like that to a reporter he was meeting for the first time.

A Contrasting Approach

Currently, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya are proactively taking a conciliatory stance toward dialogue with China. For example, they have announced measures to ease visa requirements for Chinese nationals.

*Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi shakes hands with his Japanese counterpart Takeshi Iwaya. (©Kyodo)*

When he was head of the Foreign Ministry's China Division, however, Akiba had this to say:

"When Abe was prime minister, and Taro Aso was foreign minister, [first term, September 2006-September 2007] diplomacy was much easier. Politicians are apt to say, 'Let's wrap up the negotiations quickly.' Rushing to finalize matters only lets the other side take advantage, forcing you to concede many demands. With the Abe-Aso approach, you never heard, 'Wrap it up.' Instead, their stance was, 'If they're going to act like that, there's no need for us to rush.' This allowed the negotiating team to avoid playing their cards too early, making it easier to gain the upper hand."

Wheeling and Dealing

In June 2020, Akiba took the lead in hammering out an agreement with China to jointly develop gas fields in the East China Sea. At the time, it was considered something of a coup, as the Japanese side managed to extract concessions from their Chinese counterparts. Beijing, however, later reneged on the agreement.

Then-Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa, a staunch ally of Abe and Aso known for his hardline stance on China, remarked, "This will only benefit China." He further commented, "Giving away what rightfully belongs to Japan and even engaging in capital participation would only serve Chinese interests."

Nonetheless, behind the scenes, Nakagawa actually threw a party to thank Akiba and others who were in charge of negotiations with China. In fact, he even commended them, saying, "You've managed to secure genuine concessions from China and made significant strides in advancing our position."

Later, Akiba had this to say about the situation at that time. "It was incredibly helpful to have someone in Nakagawa's position convey that the gas field agreement was entirely insufficient. It sent a strong message to the Chinese side that public opinion in Japan viewed the deal very critically."

The lesson here is clear. If the PM, the Foreign Minister, and ruling party officials set to visit China all adopt a soft stance, it will be impossible to conduct proper diplomatic negotiations. As a result, no meaningful progress or valuable outcomes will be achieved.

(Find access to the article in Japanese.)

Author: Rui Abiru, The Sankei Shimbun

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