Japan’s PM Rules Out Joining NATO Amid Alliance’s Plan for Asia Office

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a press conference at the prime minister's official residence, in Tokyo, Japan, on Oct. 14, 2021. Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo, File

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has ruled out Japan’s membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) while leaving open the possibility of allowing the security alliance to set up a liaison office in the country.

At a parliament session on May 24, Kishida acknowledged that NATO was planning to open an office in Japan but said he was “not aware of any decision” the bloc had taken about the matter, Reuters reported.