It may appear ironic that Japan and Peru are key partners in a working group on economic and social issues under the guise of the Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation, given the fact that their bilateral relationship remains soured.
The source of the hard feelings is a diplomatic tussle over former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori.
Peru has demanded that Japan extradite Fujimori, who has been wanted there on charges of fraud and murder since he abruptly relinquished his presidency while visiting Japan in the autumn of 2000.
Fujimori has continued to live in Japan, and the government has declared that Fujimori has dual nationality.
That has allowed Japan to adamantly rebuff the Peruvian demand, citing a domestic law that prohibits the government from extraditing any Japanese citizen to a foreign country with which no extradition treaty has been concluded.