Negotiations for the first Japanese emperor to visit China in 1992 were kept so secret that the prime minister at the time, Kiichi Miyazawa, complained he was not sufficiently consulted.
U.S. President George H.W. Bush suggested to Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa in 1992 that Emperor Akihito visit the United States to underscore cooperation between the two then-bickering countries, newly released diplomatic records showed.
Tokyo and Beijing made arrangements behind the scenes in 1991 with an eye toward China signing the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, according to newly released diplomatic documents.
U.S. officials badgered Japan to send minesweepers to the Persian Gulf in 1987, according to diplomatic documents released by the Foreign Ministry on Dec. 21.