A 13-member delegation from Japan's Ishin party is visiting Taipei this week and will meet President Lai Ching-te — a clear signal of warmer Japan-Taiwan ties.

• The group is led by Nobuyuki Baba and includes Ishin co-leader Fumitake Fujita and several lawmakers from both houses.
• This is the first large delegation Ishin has organized since forming a governing coalition with Japan's LDP, giving the trip extra political weight.
• Alongside Lai, the group meets Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung and visits the legislature, the national security council, and the Taiwan-Japan relations body.
• Talks focus on Taiwan-Japan ties and the security situation across the Indo-Pacific, including the Taiwan Strait.
• Ishin has a long pro-Taiwan record, donating 30 million yen after the 2024 Hualien earthquake.

Outlook: Expect closer practical cooperation between Taipei and Tokyo, and likely irritation from Beijing over a ruling-coalition party engaging Taiwan so openly.