Koehler met with senior Japanese and U.S. officials to discuss the increasing security challenges in the Indo-Pacific and continued progress of trilateral cooperation between the U.S., Japan, and Republic of Korea.
The meetings included:
- Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Masataka Okano
- Director-General of North American Affairs Bureau, Mr. Yutaka Arima
- U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel
- Parliamentary Vice Minister of Defense, Mr. Shingo Miyake
- Chief of Staff, Japan Joint Staff, Gen. Yoshihide Yoshida
- Chief of the Maritime Staff, Adm. Akira Saito
- Commandant, Japan Coast Guard, Adm. Yoshio Seguchi
While in Sasebo, Koehler participated in a press conference aboard the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS San Diego (LPD 22) for exercise Keen Sword 2025 hosted by Japan Joint Staff chief of staff Gen. Yoshihide Yoshida. The exercise is a biennial, joint and bilateral field training exercise designed to increase readiness and interoperability while strengthening the U.S.-Japan alliance.
Koehler and Davis also toured Commander, Fleet Activities Sasebo, met with installation leadership, and conducted an all hands call aboard the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6). During the all hands call, Koehler thanks the Sailors and Civilians from the waterfront for their service, discussed his Fleet Order on Professionalism, and emphasized their hard work as vital to advancing Pacific Fleet’s warfighting capabilities and ensures our force is ready to respond to any contingency across the globe at any time.
Koehler met with Sasebo City senior leaders including Sasebo Mayor Mr. Daisuke Miyajima and Sasebo City Assembly Chairman Mr. Kenji Hayashi and thanked them for their support to the forward-deployed naval forces (FDNF) assigned there.
The visit to Japan underscored the United States’ commitment to an Indo-Pacific that is free and open, connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient