KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27 — Japan’s newly appointed Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, visited Kuala Lumpur’s National Monument on October 26 as part of her first international trip since taking office, coinciding with the ongoing Asean Summit.

According to Mothership.sg, Takaichi, who became Japan’s first female prime minister on October 21, laid a wreath at the base of the monument and bowed in respect. 

The National Monument, or Tugu Negara, commemorates those who lost their lives in Malaysia’s fight for independence, including during the Japanese Occupation in World War II and the Malayan Emergency.

On the same day, she also visited the Japanese Cemetery in Kuala Lumpur, offering flowers to honour Japanese nationals who died in Malaysia, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed.