Japan–Palau relations

Diplomatic relations are maintained between Japan and Palau, a small island country in the western Pacific Ocean that was once a trust territory governed by imperial Japan. There is a Japanese embassy at Ngerekebesang in Koror, and a Palauan embassy in Minato-ku, Tokyo.

History

In the 19th century and early 20th century, the Japanese used the term Nan’yō (South Sea) to refer to Micronesian islands including Palau, as well as neighboring areas such as Australia and Indonesia. By the 1920s, the term evolved into two distinct subgroupings that divided the space into inner and outer parts: the inner or UchiNan’yō referred to the Micronesian island groups encompassing Palau, the Caroline Islands, the Mariana Islands, the Marshall Islands, and the Gilbert Islands; the outer or UraNan’yō took on a wider expanse of territory, extending into the Indonesian archipelago and stretching as far as Australia.

The bilateral ties between the two countries originated in 1920, when Japan assumed control over the island colonies of the German colonial empire in the Pacific which included the present-day Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, the Northern Marianas and Palau. The islands became part of the South Seas Mandate under the League of Nations and Koror was designated as the administrative center of the mandate. Under Japanese rule, Palau experienced significant development of its fishing, agriculture and mining industry. Palau achieved self-sufficiency to some degree during the period. Palau also served as a Japanese military base during World War II. Japanese administration over the islands ended following the defeat of Japan in the World War II. The South Seas Mandate became the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands and it was administrated by the United States.

Japan recognized the independence of Palau from the United States on 1 October 1994 and established formal relations with Palau during the same year on November 2.