Japan is evaluating potential financial assistance for the International Criminal Court (ICC) in response to sanctions recently imposed by the Trump administration. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara announced that Tokyo is exploring these measures while consulting with other nations and ICC President Tomoko Akane, a Japanese national. Kihara reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to upholding international law and supporting the Hague-based court.

Tokyo’s announcement comes shortly after Akane presented her annual report to the UN General Assembly, where she strongly criticized Washington’s actions. She warned that the U.S. restrictions severely threaten the court’s judicial independence and urged member states to take concrete steps to protect the institution.

The U.S. government, which is not an ICC member, sanctioned the court itself on October 9. This followed earlier penalties targeting individual judges and prosecutors, including Akane.

The Trump administration has fiercely opposed the ICC and vowed to dismantle it, particularly over investigations involving the United States and its allies. The mounting U.S. pressure also coincides with the ICC’s pursuit of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over the conflict in Gaza.

Despite its strong security alliance with Washington, Japan remains a major financial contributor to the ICC, which is tasked with investigating genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity when national authorities cannot or will not prosecute.