Japan is sending combat troops to the Philippines for the first time since the end of World War II, officials said.
The Japanese troops will take part in the 2026 Balikatan military exercises, officials said. Japan has participated in past Balikatan maneuvers, but its activities were limited to deploying trainers for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief drills.
“After 1945, for the very first time, we will again have Japanese combat troops on Philippine soil,” government officials in Manila said last week in a statement. “That is very significant because back then, we found ourselves on the opposite sides of the war, but this time, we find ourselves on the same side.”
Balikatan is the largest annual bilateral military exercise between the Philippines and the United States. It has served as the cornerstone of the defense relationship between Washington and Manila since its inception in 1982. Its focus has shifted over the decades from counter-terrorism to its current emphasis on territorial defense and maritime security.
Baliktan 2026 runs from April 20 through late May.
Balikatan, Tagalog for “shoulder to shoulder,” began as a strictly U.S.-Philippines event, and has expanded over the years as a major military exercise in the Indo-Pacific. Other nations often send observers to the maneuvers.
“Together with the United States and with Australia, these four nations will come together to exercise defensive operations,” Philippine officials said.
Endo Kazuya, Japan’s envoy to Manila, told the Philippines government news agency that his nation’s increased participation in the Balikatan maneuvers is “very natural” as both countries ramp up efforts to strengthen their bilateral security partnership.
“We should always be aware of the long history of our relationship,” Mr. Kazuya said. “I think the 70 years of friendship go way back to the previous history of our relationship.”
The annual Balikatan exercises are considered one of the most critical drills in the Indo-Pacific. The Philippines is at the center of the First Island Chain — a string of islands that act as a natural barrier between mainland China and the open Pacific.
Balikatan 2026 is focused on the Luzon Strait between the Philippines and Taiwan. If a conflict were to break out over Taiwan, the strait would be the “front door” for the Chinese navy to reach the Pacific.
In February, the U.S. and the Philippines signed a joint statement laying out their goals to strengthen the alliance to reestablish deterrence in the Indo-Pacific.
“They underscored their support for preserving freedom of navigation and overflight, unimpeded lawful commerce, and other lawful uses of the sea for all nations,” the State Department said in a statement. “Both sides condemned China’s illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive activities in the South China Sea, recognizing their adverse effects on regional peace and stability and the economies of the Indo-Pacific and beyond.”
