Faisal Mahmud
09 October 2026•Update: 09 October 2026
Japan on Friday expressed “deep concern” over the latest US sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), saying the measures contradict Tokyo's longstanding support for international judicial institutions.
Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi reaffirmed Tokyo’s support for international courts, including the ICC, the International Court of Justice and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.
"The measures are incompatible with Japan's consistent position, and Japan is deeply concerned about them," he said, according to a statement posted by the foreign ministry on US social media platform X.
“It is important that the ICC and its States Parties address the challenges facing the Court, so that the Court is administered appropriately,” Motegi said.
The statement said the minister had exchanged views with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Japan’s position on the issue.
Tokyo pledged continued engagement with Washington, ICC President Tomoko Akane and other countries to “work toward strengthening the rule of law in the international community.”
The statement came after Rubio threatened to "end the ICC" unless it stopped what he described as its "threats," urging US allies to "rein in the court."
The US previously sanctioned several ICC officials, including ICC President Akane, a Japanese national, following the tribunal's November 2024 arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Japan is an ICC member, while the US and Israel are not.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi expressed deep concern over US sanctions on the ICC, saying the measures contradict Tokyo's longstanding commitment to international law. "The measures are incompatible with Japan’s such consistent position, and Japan is deeply concerned about them," Takaichi said, reaffirming Japan's support for the court and its role in upholding the international rule of law.
Takaichi said Japan would continue engaging Washington while supporting the ICC's work. "We will continue to reach out to the United States and extend necessary support to the ICC so that the Court can fulfill its role and functions as originally envisaged," she said.
