At 10 a.m. on April 25, President Daniel K.Y. Han of the Legislative Yuan, accompanied by Vice President Dr. Johnny C. Chiang, presided over the inaugural ceremony of the 11th Legislative Yuan Taiwan-Japan Friendship Association. Distinguished guests in attendance included former President of the Legislative Yuan Wang Jin-pyng, cross-party Legislators Hung Mong-kai, Chiu Yi-ying, Huang Shan-shan, Niu Hsu-ting, Wang Yu-min, Wu Chun-cheng, Lin Kuo-chen, Lin Chu-yin, Chiu Cheng-chun, Ko Chih-en, Chuang Jui-hsiung, Chen Yeong-kang, Chen Ching-hui, Cheng Cheng-chien, Hsieh Yi-fong, Su Chiao-hui, Su Ching-chuan, Alice Chang, Mai Yu-chen, Tu Chuan-chi, Ko Ju-chun, Weng Hsiao-ling, and Lin Te-fu, as well as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwang, Representative of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Taipei Office Kazuyuki Katayama, and Deputy Secretary-General of the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association Chen Chih-jen, among others.

After introducing the distinguished guests, President Han first invited former Legislative Yuan President Wang Jin-pyng to deliver a speech. Former President Wang stated that the predecessor of the Taiwan-Japan Friendship Association was founded in 1992, at the behest of then President Lee Teng-hui, bringing together the efforts of all party caucuses of the Legislative Yuan to form the Taiwan-Japan Parliamentarian Association. After more than 30 years of development, the association's quality and quantity have continued to increase, and he expressed admiration for all the members who have participated in the association in the past.

Former President Wang continued to point out that both the United States and Japan are important diplomatic partners for Taiwan, but Japan is closer to Taiwan in customs and distance. Therefore, exchanges between Taiwan and Japan have always been frequent and close. At its peak, the Taiwan-Japan Friendship Association had over 100 members, accounting for over 90% of the legislators in the Legislative Yuan. However, in the current session, there are only about 70 members. He urged those who have not yet joined the association to participate actively and hoped for more frequent exchanges between Taiwan and Japan in the future to further strengthen bilateral relations.

President Han first expressed sincere gratitude to former President Wang Jin-pyng, the "forever elder brother of the Legislative Yuan," for taking the time to attend the inaugural ceremony. He said that when former President Wang was in office, he and the legislators present were either new to the Legislative Yuan or newly entered politics. Former President Wang witnessed the growth of many young legislators. His speech just now outlined the establishment, development, historical inheritance, and importance of the Taiwan-Japan Friendship Association, allowing many new members to have a clearer understanding of the responsibilities and missions of joining the association.

President Han continued, stating that the most important aspect of communication between people is sincerity. As long as we communicate with sincerity with Japanese parliamentarians, our relationship will naturally be friendly, and exchanges and cooperation in various fields between Taiwan and Japan will continue to expand smoothly. President Han also emphasized that the current session of the Taiwan-Japan Friendship Association currently has 71 participating members, comparable to the 72 members of the Legislative Yuan USA Caucus. While the current membership count is slightly less than the previous total of over 100 members, the inclusion of significant figures from various political parties, notably Vice President Dr. Johnny C. Chiang, underscores the collective emphasis placed on Taiwan-Japan relations by all party caucuses. He believed that under the call of former President Wang, the number of members joining the Taiwan-Japan Friendship Association will continue to increase, and it will soon surpass 100.

President Han especially thanked Japan for its immediate expression of concern and generous assistance to Taiwan in the recent Hualien earthquake. When Taiwan and Japan encounter natural disasters, both the government and the people timely provide mutual assistance, which is a manifestation of sincere friendship. He believed that on this good foundation, both sides will deepen cooperation in more areas and create a better future of mutual benefit and prosperity. President Han also mentioned that after the adjournment of the Legislative Yuan, legislators will visit Japan one after another, and next week a delegation of Japanese parliamentarians will visit Taiwan. The Legislative Yuan will warmly welcome these visits, ensuring that mutual visits and friendships between Taiwanese and Japanese parliamentarians continue. President Han concluded by wishing smooth operation for the Taiwan-Japan Friendship Association and everlasting friendship between Taiwan and Japan.

The inaugural ceremony proceeded with speeches from legislators Hung Mong-kai, Chiu Yi-ying, and Hwang Shan-shan, representing the three respective party caucuses. Legislator Hung expressed that the establishment of the Taiwan-Japan Friendship Association during the blooming of spring symbolizes the integration of Taiwan-Japan relations. He thanked Prime Minister Kishida and Ambassador Katayama for their prompt condolences and assistance following the Hualien earthquake. Furthermore, it was pointed out that the number of multipartisan legislators attending today's inauguration exceeds the usual attendance at standing committee meetings. This indicates that the Legislative Yuan is fully capable of passing crucial legislation that advances the Taiwan-Japan friendship. Legislator Chiu expressed her delight at once again serving as the Vice Chair of the current term's Taiwan-Japan Friendship Association. She extended gratitude to former President Wang for his past leadership in facilitating exchanges between legislators and Japan, thereby enhancing Taiwan-Japan relations. The tradition of having the President of the Legislative Yuan serve as the Chair of the Taiwan-Japan Friendship Association was also established by former President Wang. With President Han taking over now, she believes that the level of parliamentary exchanges between Taiwan and Japan will continue to rise in the future. In addition, she mentioned her recent visit to Japan with several party colleagues last week, meeting with former Prime Minister Abe's wife and several Japanese parliamentarians, feeling the warmth of the Japanese people's concern for the Hualien earthquake in Taiwan. She hopes for increasingly close Taiwan-Japan relations and jointly maintaining security and peace in the East Asian region. Legislator Hwang further pointed out that Taiwan is now facing many challenges and needs support from allies in both economic and military aspects, with Japan undoubtedly being Taiwan's most solid ally. Therefore, she is delighted to participate in the inter-parliamentary exchanges between Taiwan and Japan. She believes that in this session of the legislature, with both sides working together to make Taiwan and Japan safer, Taiwan-Japan exchanges will be a top priority.

Before Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwang and Ambassador Kazuyuki Katayama of the Taipei Office of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association delivered their speeches, President Han invited all the attending guests for a group photo. In his remarks, Ambassador Katayama expressed his deep emotions witnessing the establishment of the Taiwan-Japan Friendship Association under the leadership of President Han, with strong public support in the Legislative Yuan. Since he arrived in Taiwan in November 2023, he has deeply felt the close relationship between Taiwan and Japan. During the Noto Peninsula earthquake, Japan received considerable assistance from Taiwan and Japan immediately announced that it would provide $1 million in aid following the Hualien earthquake in Taiwan on April 3, reflecting the Japanese people's desire to reciprocate Taiwan's goodwill. The Japanese government has always regarded Taiwan as an important partner. A survey conducted last year showed that 77% of Japanese people feel close to Taiwan, and 65% consider Taiwan trustworthy. The friendship between Taiwan and Japan is precious, and he feels honored to be stationed in Taiwan at this time, with a great sense of responsibility. He particularly expressed his respect for the contributions of the former presidents and members of the Taiwan-Japan Friendship Association to Taiwan-Japan relations and sincerely hoped that under President Han's leadership, Taiwan-Japan relations would become even closer and friendlier.