Taiwan’s top economic representative in Japan, Lee Yi-yang, boycotted the 81st anniversary memorial of the U.S. atomic bombing of Nagasaki on August 9, 2026. Representing the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Tokyo, Lee withdrew over seating assignments that placed Taiwanese officials behind regular diplomatic missions, accusing city officials of being pro-China and insulting Taipei.
While Tokyo officially severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1972 after normalising relations with the People’s Republic of China, economic and trade ties remain close through nongovernmental channels.
Lee argued in a social media post that the assigned seating arrangements “deliberately denied Taiwan’s status as a nation, completely disregarding Taiwan’s sovereignty and dignity.” Rather than attending, Lee dispatched a lower-ranking official from Fukuoka, Chen Ming-chun, to observe the memorial.
“I think there shouldn’t be any discrimination at a place where we pray together for a world without a war or nuclear weapons,” Chen Ming-chun told Nippon Television, as reported by The Hindu.
Lee’s office released a harsher statement, characterizing Nagasaki’s municipal administration as acting as “a pawn of China’s insistence that Taiwan is not a state and has no sovereignty.” In contrast, Lee attended the August 6 atomic bombing memorial in Hiroshima, noting that he was treated equally alongside other foreign envoys.
How Nagasaki Defends Its Seating Protocol
Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki pushed back against the allegations of pro-China bias.
“We have courteously accommodated their attendance,” Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki told reporters, denying that the city was bowing to China. “Taiwan is a partner with strong ties with Nagasaki and we place great importance to our relationship.”
According to reports from the Asahi newspaper referenced by The Hindu, seats designated for Taiwanese officials were positioned directly behind other envoys because they could not fit into a special guests section reserved for ambassadors and top Japanese officials. Municipal planners categorized the Taiwanese delegation alongside foreign attendees from international organizations and envoys who lacked formal bilateral diplomatic status.
During that year’s anniversary, the U.S. ambassador Rahm Emanuel—alongside counterparts from five other Group of Seven nations—boycotted the Nagasaki ceremony. That boycott stemmed from the city’s decision to not invite Israel over the escalating conflict in West Asia, which also triggered worries regarding potential risks such as protests and other safety issues.
In response to that diplomatic headache, Nagasaki established a firm policy: invitations are extended to countries, regions, and organizations maintaining formal diplomatic missions in Japan or at the United Nations. Because Taiwan fits neither formal category, its presence relies on special administrative accommodations.
Protocol Context and Historical Balancing Acts
The diplomatic architecture governing Japan-Taiwan relations dates back more than five decades.
| Milestone / Event | Year / Date | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Japan-China Joint Communique | 1972 | Tokyo normalised diplomatic ties with Beijing, officially ending formal government ties with Taipei. |
| Nagasaki Peace Park Memorial | August 9, 2026 | Marked the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing; attended by representatives from 98 countries and three international organizations. |
| Lee’s First Attendance | 2025 | Lee Yi-yang became the first Taiwanese representative from the liaison office to attend both Hiroshima and Nagasaki memorials, accepting a similar seat assignment without public protest. |
| G7 Ambassador Boycott | 2024 | U.S. and other G7 envoys boycotted Nagasaki over the exclusion of Israel, prompting stricter municipal invitation criteria. |
During Sunday’s memorial at the Peace Park, representatives from 98 countries and three international organizations—including the United Nations, the European Union, and the International Committee of the Red Cross—were in attendance, according to Nagasaki officials. The U.S. atomic attack on August 9, 1945, claimed 70,000 lives by the end of that year, arriving three days after the Hiroshima bombing that killed 140,000 people and ultimately precipitated Japan’s surrender on August 15, 1945.
Lee assumed his post in Tokyo in September 2024. Last year, he marked a diplomatic milestone by becoming the first representative from the liaison office to participate in both the Hiroshima and Nagasaki peace ceremonies. While he received a comparable seating assignment during the 2025 Nagasaki commemoration, his office chose not to raise objections at the time.
This year, however, Taipei drew a sharp line. Lee emphasized that while Taiwan continues to project itself as a peace-loving nation, Beijing’s rapid military growth and nuclear weapons present security challenges to the region.
