TOKYO, April 29 -- Prime Minister and His Cabinet issued the following highlight:
Warm greetings to the people of the Philippines. I am ISHIBA Shigeru, Prime Minister of Japan, and I am truly delighted to be visiting your country.
Japan and the Philippines are bound by deep historical ties. Trade began in the 16th century, and Japanese communities established themselves in Manila. Before the Second World War, many Japanese immigrants settled mainly in Baguio and Davao, shaping local communities. Although there were difficult times in the past between Japan and the Philippines, President Quirino granted a pardon to Japanese war criminals and in 1953 declared, "I am doing this because I do not want my children and my people to inherit from ...