TOKYO — Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is on a four-day state visit to Japan that culminates on Thursday with defense talks and an award from Emperor Naruhito, before his departure on Friday.

Emperor Naruhito greeted Marcos and awarded him the Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum, Japan’s highest honor for foreign dignitaries. On Wednesday, Marcos addressed Japanese lawmakers, saying the emphasis on raising bilateral ties reflects an “exceptional level of trust” between the nations.

Marcos is scheduled to hold talks Thursday with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, expected to yield announcements on expanded defense and weapons cooperation. The two leaders are also set to arrange formal negotiations toward a military intelligence sharing pact, which would enhance trilateral coordination with the United States.

Japan and the Philippines have agreed to pursue negotiations on the sale of multiple Abukuma-class destroyers and Japanese navy TC-90 training aircraft. Marcos is the first potential major customer for Japanese arms since Tokyo lifted its ban on lethal weapons exports in April, a policy shift that marked a break from Japan’s postwar pacifist stance as it accelerates its military and arms industry buildup.

The two countries have steadily expanded defense collaboration in recent years. They signed a 2024 pact allowing their forces to conduct joint military drills on each other’s soil, enabling Japan to deploy 1,400 personnel regularly in such exercises. A separate agreement signed in 2026 permits the tax-free provision of ammunition, fuel, food, and other supplies during joint training. Japan has also delivered five coastal surveillance radars to the Philippines as part of official security assistance.

Marcos has taken a hard-line stance against China over maritime disputes in the South China Sea. Japan seeks to solidify its partnership with the Philippines beyond Marcos’s presidency, which ends in 2028, to avoid policy reversals seen under previous Philippine administrations. In addition to defense, Marcos and Takaichi will discuss energy cooperation and a Japan-led multinational funding framework announced in April to help Southeast Asian nations stabilize oil reserves by financing infrastructure affected by disruptions in oil transport through the Strait of Hormuz due to the Iran war.