Taipei's DPP mayoral candidate is using a Japan trip to build overseas backing and pitch city diplomacy as a security issue — a positive sign for his campaign and for Taiwan-Japan ties.

• Shen Po-yang launched his Japan support group in Tokyo, with all 300 seats filled and supporters travelling from as far as Kansai and Kyushu.
• Taiwan's envoy to Japan, a Japanese lawmaker, and a Kobe city councillor turned up, signalling warm cross-party goodwill.
• He argued China and Russia are pushing their influence down to the city level, citing talks on city AI data, traffic data, and even civil defence exchanges.
• His answer is a "resilient city" plan for Taipei, framing city diplomacy as part of national security rather than just local friendship.
• He also inspected Tokyo's runner rest stations near the Imperial Palace, a policy he wants to copy in Taipei.

Outlook: Expect more parliamentary and party-level exchanges with Japan in the coming days, with the support group meant to outlast the election as a permanent link between Taipei and Tokyo.