Senior LDP Member: "Japan Must Firmly Resist U.S. Pressure" ... Backlash Over Sanctions Against ICC President

Gen Nakatani and Other Lawmakers
Bipartisan Parliamentary Group Raises Criticism
“Takaichi Walking a Tightrope Between Alliance and Rule of Law”

Last month, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump placed Akane Tomoko, the Japanese President of the International Criminal Court (ICC), on its sanctions list, sparking growing backlash from Japan's political circles, including the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Akane Domoko, Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2024, holds a press conference. Photo by AFP Yonhap News Agency

According to Bloomberg News on September 4, former Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, a senior member of the Liberal Democratic Party, said in a Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan (FCCJ) speech that day, "A judge sent to the ICC by Japan, with the confidence of the Assembly of States Parties, has been placed on the same list as terrorists by an allied nation," and emphasized, "Japan, which has consistently upheld the rule of law, should not stand idly by and watch."

He added, "An alliance that remains silent in the face of an attack on the rule of law will ultimately lose the values that uphold the alliance itself," and strongly urged the Japanese government to fulfill its responsibility as a nation that protects the rule of law.

The United States designated President Akane as a sanctions target on the 18th of last month, citing that the ICC had maliciously abused its authority. Akane, a Japanese national, has led the ICC since 2024. President Akane has also publicly called on Japan to stand up to U.S. pressure on the ICC.

The bipartisan parliamentary group co-chaired by former Defense Minister Nakatani adopted a statement condemning the U.S. sanctions "in the strongest terms" and immediately called for their withdrawal from the moment the news broke.

AFP Yonhap News

The Financial Times (FT) pointed out that this situation is a representative case showing how Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is walking a "very precarious tightrope" between Japan's top ally, the United States, and the diplomatic principle of the rule of law.

Even the Japanese government led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, which had initially shown a passive attitude, raised its level of response following strong criticism from Japanese politicians. On September 19, the day after the U.S. sanctions were announced, Prime Minister Takaichi said she "deeply regrets" the U.S. measures; however, that was the extent of her response. Later, on September 24, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara stated, "Japan has consistently supported the ICC, the permanent international criminal court that punishes serious crimes in the international community and safeguards the rule of law."

Meanwhile, the bipartisan parliamentary group including former Defense Minister Nakatani plans to submit a letter of request to the Japanese government on September 15, urging it to formally protest to the United States and demand the withdrawal of sanctions against President Akane.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.