Defense - Japan-en
High-Level Visits to Japan
Japan and the Netherlands maintain a close bilateral relationship characterized by frequent high-level exchanges. In recent years, the Netherlands has undertaken several high-level visits to Japan, underscoring the growing importance of the partnership. These engagements highlight the closer cooperation between Europe and the Indo-Pacific region, bilateral defense cooperation, joint military exercises, regional security issues, and collaboration in the defense industry.
Coinciding with the Royal Netherlands Navy frigate HNLMS de Ruyter’s visit to Japan in 2026, Minister of Defense Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius and commander of the Royal Netherlands Navy Vice Admiral Harold Liebregs held high-level meetings with Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi, Chief of Defense Hiroaki Kuchikura, the Commander of the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force Admiral Akira Saito and the commander of Joint Operations Command Admiral Tateki Tawara.
In March 2026, the Commander of the Royal Air and Space Force of the Netherlands, Lieutenant General André Steur, visited Japan. He held talks with General Takehiro Morita of the JASDF and welcomed the Japan–Netherlands–U.S. KAZAGURUMA Guardian exercise.
Deployment of Royal Netherlands Navy Vessels to Japan
Against the backdrop of rising geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific, The Netherlands’ commits to upholding the right to freedom of navigation in international waters. It also supports rules-based maritime order, contribute to regional stability, and strengthen cooperation with like-minded partners. As part of this commitment the Netherlands aims to send a frigate to the Indo-Pacific every two years.
In June 2026, HNLMS De Ruyter (F804) berthed at the Tokyo International Cruise Terminal. The 2026 deployment marks the third dispatch of a Royal Netherlands Navy vessel to the Indo-Pacific since the Dutch Government published its Indo-Pacific Guidelines in November 2020. In 2021 the Dutch frigate HNLMS Evertsen conducted its first port visit to Yokosuka, Japan in 20 years as part of the HMS Queen Elizabeth task group. In 2024, the HNLMS Tromp visited Nagasaki while conducting monitoring and surveillance activities in waters surrounding Japan.
F-35 Deployment to Japan
The Netherlands has deployed five F-35s and an A330 tanker aircraft to take part in the trilateral KAZAGURUMA Guardian exercise with Japan and the United States from Misawa Airbase.
This marks the first time the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force deployed combat aircrafts to Japan. This first-of-its-kind exercise aimed to promote a more interoperable force, bringing together advanced air power and integrated operations among the three nations, reinforcing a unified approach to deterrence and regional security.
Japan and the Netherlands Sign Agreement on Security Cooperation
The Netherlands and Japan will soon be able to exchange military goods and services more rapidly. This has been formalised in the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA), which governs procurement and the mutual provision of services. The ACSA was signed by the former Netherlands Minister of Defense Ruben Brekelmans and Japanese ambassador Rokuichiro Michii.
Japan and the Netherlands already enjoy strong defense cooperation. During his visit to Japan in April 2025, Prime Minister Schoof pledged to further develop the strategic security partnership between the two countries. The ACSA negotiations were officially started at the NATO summit in The Hague. The agreement was signed in 2025, the same year that marks 425 years of diplomatic ties between Japan and the Netherlands.