▁Their ▁diplom atic ▁relations ▁were ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 5 . ▁Mal ta ▁has ▁a ▁cons ulate ▁in ▁Tokyo . ▁Japan ▁has ▁an ▁Emb ass y ▁to ▁Mal ta , ▁which ▁is ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Emb ass y ▁of ▁Japan ▁in ▁Rome , ▁Italy , ▁and ▁a ▁cons ulate ▁in ▁Val lett a , ▁Mal ta . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁last ▁two ▁years ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁Japan ▁played ▁an ▁important ▁role ▁in ▁se cur ing ▁the ▁sea ▁lan es . ▁Four teen ▁destroy ers ▁on ▁anti - sub marine ▁con voy ▁esc ort ▁duty ▁and ▁their ▁flags hip ▁cru is ers ▁of ▁the ▁Imperial ▁Japanese ▁Navy ▁made ▁Mal ta ▁their ▁home port . ▁The ▁destroy er ▁ ▁was ▁tor ped o ed ▁by ▁the ▁Aust rian ▁sub marine ▁U - 2 7 ▁on ▁June ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 1 9 1 7 ▁killing ▁ 6 8 ▁of ▁her ▁crew . ▁They ▁were ▁buried ▁in ▁K alk ara ▁Naval ▁C emetery ▁in ▁Mal ta . ▁ ▁On ▁September ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁the ▁State ▁of ▁Mal ta , ▁whose ▁successor ▁state ▁is ▁the ▁modern - day ▁Republic ▁of ▁Mal ta , ▁became ▁independent ▁from ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom . ▁In ▁the ▁next ▁year , ▁ 1 9 6 5 , ▁Japan ▁established ▁formal ▁diplom atic ▁relations ▁with ▁Mal ta . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁on ▁the ▁occasion ▁of ▁the ▁death ▁and ▁fun eral ▁of ▁H