Relationship dossier
Japan
New Zealand
Relationship assessment
Japan and New Zealand have a substantial security and economic partnership, alongside recurring disagreement over whaling.
Japan toward New Zealand
+50Japan has entered a Reciprocal Access Agreement with New Zealand to facilitate defense cooperation and visits by each country's forces. Japan also sent emergency-response assistance to Christchurch after the 2011 earthquake. The two countries participate in shared trade frameworks, including the CPTPP and RCEP.
New Zealand toward Japan
+50New Zealand entered a Reciprocal Access Agreement with Japan to facilitate defense cooperation and visits by each country's forces. New Zealand sent emergency-response assistance to Japan after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. The two countries participate in shared trade frameworks, including the CPTPP and RCEP.
Overall relationship
+50The relationship combines a durable security framework, cooperation in major regional trade agreements and practical assistance after earthquakes. These features support a substantially cooperative partnership, although New Zealand's opposition to Japanese whaling has been a recurring point of friction.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Japan and New Zealand maintain a substantial cooperative relationship spanning security, trade frameworks and disaster assistance. Their Reciprocal Access Agreement facilitates defense cooperation and visits by each country's forces. Both participate in the CPTPP and RCEP, and each provided emergency assistance after major earthquakes in the other country. Whaling has been a recurring point of disagreement.
Areas of tension
- New Zealand has opposed Japanese whaling, including Japan's whaling activities in the Southern Ocean.
Key developments
Japan and New Zealand signed a Reciprocal Access Agreement to facilitate defense cooperation and visits by their forces.
Japan sent urban search-and-rescue assistance to Christchurch following the Canterbury earthquake.
New Zealand sent emergency-response assistance to Japan following the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.
Major uncertainties
- The extent and frequency of defense activities conducted under the Reciprocal Access Agreement are unclear.
- The scale and current implementation of bilateral cooperation beyond shared trade and security frameworks are unclear.