Former Prime Minister Dr. ASHIDA Hitoshi was a principal driving force and in charge of the purchase of the property of the former Japanese Embassy/General Consulate in Istanbul when he was stationed there in the interwar period as a diplomat. Despite the historical and archeological uniquness and significance, the status of the Japanese Embassy/General Consulate building has been in limbo for a long time after the evacuation and temporary relocation of Japanese General Consulate in Istanbul to a more contemporary building after the 2003 terrorist attack on the British General Consulate in Istanbul.

On June 20, 2026, Dr. Miyuki Aoki Girardelli, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Architecture of Istanbul Technical University (ITU), delivered a public lecture at the Ashida HItoshi Memorial Mesuem in Fukuchiyama City, Prime MInister Ashida's birthplace, and revisited this issue.

For the newspapers reports on this lecture and contexts and implications, please consult with ROLES website in Japanese.