Nichika-kun Officially Renamed 'Japan-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship League'; Chairman Koike: 'Now is the Time'

Japan's cross-party parliamentary group for Taiwan relations, the 'Japan-ROC Parliamentarians' League' (Nichika-kun), held its general meeting today and formally resolved to rename itself the 'Japan-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship League,' replacing the term 'ROC' (China) with 'Taiwan.' Chairman Takashi Kawamura stated that the change is a natural progression, as Japanese government-related institutions and Taiwan's counterpart organizations have already completed similar name adjustments years ago.

Kawamura, a member of the House of Representatives, explained in a post-meeting interview that the organization had operated under the name 'Nichika-kun' for 53 years. However, Japan's 'Interchange Association' has already been renamed the 'Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association,' and Taiwan's 'Asia-Pacific Relations Association' has become the 'Taiwan-Japan Relations Association.'

He noted, 'In fact, the Japanese government completed its name change as early as 2017. Our parliamentary league has been carefully evaluating the right timing for our own change. With the emergence of the Koike administration, we believe now is precisely the right moment, and thus decided to proceed with the renaming.'

Kawamura emphasized that Prime Minister Koike was a key figure in Nichika-kun before becoming Prime Minister and had held a video conference with former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen during her campaign for LDP leadership. 'Therefore, we judged that the current political context is the most suitable timing.'

He acknowledged that the renaming process was not easy and required extensive coordination, but ultimately gained understanding and support, allowing the group to officially relaunch today as the 'Japan-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship League,' abbreviated as 'Nichitai Yuukou Giiren.'

In response to media reports suggesting the change might provoke China, Kawamura called such concerns 'surprising.'

He pointed out that Japan's official institutions have used 'Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association' for nearly a decade, and Taiwan has similarly updated its name. Therefore, renaming 'Nichika-kun' to 'Japan-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship League' is a logical and natural development.

He rejected interpretations that the move is intended to provoke China: 'This renaming is simply about restoring the name to what it should have been all along. We will continue to promote Japan-Taiwan cooperation and deepen bilateral relations, further evolving and strengthening our ties. This commitment remains unchanged.'

Kawamura also revealed that the group now has 321 members. When Nichika-kun was first established, it had around 280 members, already a large organization. It has now surpassed its original scale, becoming the largest pro-Taiwan parliamentary group in history.

Regarding the annual policy adopted at today's meeting, Kawamura stated that beyond the name change, it reflects a deepening of Japan-Taiwan relations, including promoting economic security cooperation, strengthening bilateral exchanges, and enhancing public understanding of Taiwan in Japan.

He specifically mentioned that some Japanese middle and high school textbooks still mark Taiwan in the same color as China, and some statistical data combine Taiwan with China. However, while the Japanese government respects China's position, it has never recognized Taiwan as part of China, making such practices logically inconsistent. The group will push for improvements through the Diet and party policy bodies.

The policy calls for Japanese children and students to understand that Taiwan is based on democracy and possesses a different value system from China. The group will urge Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to review and revise textbook content that may mislead students into believing 'Taiwan is part of Chinese territory.'