Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Japan is not only a bilateral diplomatic engagement. It should also be read as part of a wider European contest for influence in Tokyo, where France does not want to leave strategic space to Germany. Emmanuel Macron is in Japan and South Korea from 30 March to 2 April, at a moment of clearly worsening tensions between Beijing and Tokyo. This gives the visit a broader meaning than a routine political exchange. France wants to demonstrate that it remains present in one