Japan’s leaders are speaking up at the United Nations this week with a clear request. They want the U.N. to finally remove the "enemy state" label from their country’s name.

This label comes from the 1940s, right around the end of World War II. Back then, it made sense to some countries because of the war. But Japan says that time is long gone. They have been a peaceful, helpful member of the world community for decades. They believe keeping that old name is unfair and outdated.

Sanae Takaichi, a high-ranking Japanese official, used her first speech at the U.N. to push for this change. She argued that the label does not match who Japan is today. She also used her time to talk about the importance of the rule of law around the world.

In that same speech, Takaichi talked about the International Criminal Court, or ICC. This is a special court that judges people who commit the worst kinds of crimes, like war crimes. Donald Trump has called the court "out of control," but Japan is sticking by it. They pledged to keep supporting the court, showing that they want to help keep the world safe and fair.

Japan is also working hard to support its own people who work at the U.N. They held a special meeting to encourage Japanese staff members who are helping run things behind the scenes at the organization.

By pushing to drop the "enemy" tag, Japan is trying to close the door on the past and show the world that they are a modern, trusted partner.

Source: WSJ