Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reportedly made a request to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to take down a statue in Berlin symbolizing victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery.

According to Japan's Sankei Shimbun newspaper on Wednesday, Kishida asked for cooperation on the issue during summit talks with the German leader during his visit to Japan late last month.

The prime minister said it is regrettable that the statue, which does not reflect Tokyo's views on the issue, still remains.

However, Sankei reported that the chancellor's response was not favorable because even though Germany values relations with Japan, the statue falls under the jurisdiction of the Berlin borough of Mitte, and there is little the central government can do to intervene.

It is viewed as unusual for Kishida to make such a direct request. The newspaper cited a Japanese official as saying that after continued denials, having the request come from the prime minister was thought to send a stronger message.

The statue of a girl, known as the “Statue of Peace,” was installed in September 2020 by the civic group Korea Verband with a one-year installation period.

Following protests by Japan, local authorities ordered its removal just two weeks after it was put in place, but the order was suspended after Korea Verband filed a lawsuit. Last year, the borough’s urban arts committee advised that the statue remain in place until September of this year.

The civic group wants to keep the statue permanently, while Tokyo's protests are expected to intensify.