Japan’s Quiet Preparation for War: How to Defend its People

“Implementation” has been the guiding principle for Japanese defense planners since the release of the most recent National Security Strategy (NSS), National Defense Strategy (NDS), and Defense Buildup […]

South Korea and Japan’s Responses to the US Latticework for the Indo-Pacific System

Since the turn of the century, the US government has increasingly pivoted toward Asia, responding to anticipated Chinese aggression, such as toward Taiwan or in the South China […]

Introduction

After Kishida Fumio announced his decision not to run again for the presidency of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Ishiba Shigeru triumphed in the in-party elections, two […]

Managing Relations with South Korea

Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru was inaugurated with his new cabinet on October 1. Just a few days later, on October 4, during his inaugural policy speech in the […]

Japanese Perceptions of China’s Response

Japanese have been closely following the response in China to the election within the LDP of Ishiba Shigeru as prime minister. Given a slew of problems in bilateral […]

Southeast Asia and Japan’s New Leadership

On October 1, 2024, Ishiba Shigeru was inaugurated as Japan’s 102th prime minister. He is an experienced politician in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) with in-depth knowledge of […]

Country Report: Japan (October 2024)

In the summer of 2024 Japanese were reflecting on Prime Minister Kishida’s legacy following his announcement that he would step down in September, were following Russia as its […]

A Perspective from Japan

On the eve of a critical US presidential election, US allies would be well advised to prepare for any eventualities. Donald Trump’s “America First” thinking leaves all uncertain […]

Consumer Buycotts and Supply Chain Diplomacy:Japan’s Responses to China’s Seafood Ban

August 24 marked the one-year anniversary of Japan commencing the discharge of ALPS treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean.1 Despite a positive report […]

China’s Strategic Thinking toward the US Role in the Indo-Pacific

When the world looks back at the Biden administration and US-China relations during the four years between 2021 and 2025, they might come to the realization that this […]