'We couldn't clash with the US': Why Japan stayed quiet after Washington sanctioned its own ICC chief

Japan's Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae has refrained from taking a strong stance against Washington's confrontation with the International Criminal Court over the arrest warrant issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — a posture driven by Tokyo's overriding desire to protect its relationship with the United States, analysts say.

The Asahi Shimbun reported Monday that Takaichi's decision last month to express only "deep regret" over Washington's sanctions against ICC President Tomoko Akane — a Japanese national — reflected a deliberate choice to put consideration for the US above all else.

The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November 2024, designating him a war criminal on the grounds that he had acknowledged widespread attacks on civilians in Gaza. Washington pushed back hard, and in February last year President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing sanctions on the court. Last month, the administration added Akane and chief trial lawyer Abdoulaye Saye to its sanctions list. Sunday, reports emerged that Washington was considering an even more severe measure: cutting the ICC off entirely from the international financial messaging network.

When the US government announced sanctions against Akane on Aug. 18 (local time), Takaichi said she found the move "deeply regrettable" and pledged to "continue communicating with the United States and other relevant countries as we respond." The restrained language drew criticism inside Japan, with many calling it a passive response.

The Asahi reported Monday, citing multiple government officials, that the phrase "deeply regrettable" had been agreed upon by officials at the Foreign Ministry and the prime minister's office. One official told the paper that the government felt it had to limit itself to that level of expression "even if it provoked a public backlash."

The Asahi said the muted response reflected a judgment that Tokyo could not afford to strain its ties with the Trump administration. Japan needs to accommodate US demands for higher defense spending as it prepares to revise three key security documents before the end of the year, and it has been navigating a fraught relationship with China since last year. With a US-China summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping scheduled for Thursday, Tokyo calculated that it needed to keep its relationship with Washington in top shape to prevent the two powers from cutting a "big deal" that left Japan on the sidelines.

A senior Foreign Ministry official summed up the thinking to the Asahi: "We couldn't clash with the US here." The official added that after Japan signaled its consideration for Washington by stopping at "deeply regrettable," the US later conveyed its gratitude.

Takaichi is traveling to New York on Tuesday to attend the UN General Assembly, where she is also scheduled to hold a summit with Trump. Whether the two leaders will discuss a resolution to the dispute over Akane's sanctions is drawing close attention.