A Japanese national, who had been detained in Iran since January, has been released on bail, Tokyo confirmed on Tuesday.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara announced that the release was verified on Monday, with Japan now pressing Iranian authorities for a full release.
The Japanese ambassador to Iran, Tamaki Tsukada, met with the individual, confirming their good health, though no further details were provided.
The person is widely believed to be a journalist for Japan’s public broadcaster, NHK.
This development follows the release of another Japanese citizen in March, who had been held in Iran since last June.
Tuesday’s announcement also came a day after phone discussions between Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, concerning Iran’s conflict with the United States and Israel.
A Japanese Foreign Ministry statement released just after the talks said that Mr Motegi reiterated his demand for the release of the remaining detainee.
Mr Araghchi said he took the request seriously, the statement said.
The Committee to Protect Journalists has named the person detained in Iran in January as a journalist at Japan’s public broadcaster NHK.
The CPJ said the NHK journalist was arrested on 20 January by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and was transferred on 23 February to Evin Prison, quoting unidentified sources citing fear of persecution.
Evin Prison, known as the ‘Bastille’ of Iran, is the Islamic Republic’s most infamous detention facility.
It is the primary prison for journalists, human rights activists, academics, dual nationals, and political prisoners detained by the Iranian regime.
Other foreign nationals being held there include British couple Lindsay and Craig Foreman, who were in 2025 sentenced to 10 years in prison on espionage charges.
The Foremans were arrested in January 2025 while on a motorcycle world trip through Iran, with their detention announced by Iranian state media in February of the same year.
Their family claims they are being used as “human shields” amidst the US-Israeli conflict with Iran and has criticised the British government for insufficient progress on their release.
Joe Bennett, Lindsay Foreman’s son, has described the couple’s harsh living conditions in Evin Prison, including a recent blast near the facility and the presence of rats and cockroaches.
