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July 13, 2016 - In This Issue:
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Event: Upper House Elections and Implications for the Abe Administration
 On Sunday, Japan held an Upper House election for half of the chamber's 242 seats.
This afternoon, Sasakawa USA experts will discuss and analyze the election outcome and what it means for both Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's administration and for U.S.-Japan relations as a whole.
Japan's ruling coalition secured its victory, but will the makeup of the ruling parties allow Mr. Abe to assemble the two-thirds majority necessary for constitutional revision to move to a national referendum? We look forward to a timely discussion on this and other issues from Sasakawa USA fellows
Dr. Jeffrey Hornung and
Tobias Harris, with moderation from
Sasakawa USA CEO and Chairman Admiral Dennis Blair.
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In the News: Arbitration in the South China Sea and Japan's elections
News roundup: Sasakawa USA experts comment on South China Sea ruling:
Sasakawa USA's maritime experts Adm. Dennis Blair and Dr. Jeffrey Hornung provided analysis of Tuesday's long-awaited decision on maritime disputes between the Philippines and China. Click here to see a roundup of news coverage or here to access the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations' page for a hearing on the topic today, at which Mr. Blair is scheduled to testify.
Constitutional revision still not a sure bet despite LDP wins:
While Japan's ruling coalition secured victories in key parliamentary elections Sunday, that doesn't mean constitutional revision will be an easy win for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Sasakawa USA's Tobias Harris explained in several media outlets following the election. Click here to read more.
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Announcing the JET Alumni Association Mini-Grant Program
Sasakawa USA is pleased to partner with the US Japan Exchange & Teaching Programme Alumni Association (JETAA) to offer a mini-grant program. Through this initiative, funded by Sasakawa USA and administered by USJETAA, small grants will be awarded to JETAA chapters and subchapters in the U.S. to fund innovative activities that engage JET alumni in their communities and promote understanding and friendship between the U.S. and Japan. Apply by August 15.
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Chairman's Message: Continued Cooperation between U.S. and Japan Needed to Strengthen Cybersecurity
The U.S. and Japan have seen more limited cooperation in cybersecurity than should be the case given shared interests and values in the two countries, writes Sasakawa USA Chairman and CEO Admiral Dennis Blair in this edition of the Chairman's Message.
Cybersecurity professionals in the United States and Japan are not satisfied with the state of security in either country, and Blair contends the two allies need to find better ways to cooperate in preserving the advantages that information technology gives us while making our networks more secure.
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View from Tokyo: Brexit and the Consequences for Japan
 Brexit will have strategic, economic, and political implications not just for countries across the Atlantic, but also in the Asia-Pacific, writes Sasakawa USA's Distinguished Fellow Tomohiko Taniguchi in his latest column for "A View from Tokyo: Tomo Taniguchi's Take."
The implications are particularly important for Japan, which in recent years has enhanced its relationship with London, writes Taniguchi, who also serves as a special advisor to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's cabinet and as a professor at Keio University's Graduate School of System Design and Management.
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Congressional Staffers Deepen Knowledge of Japan onTtrip to Tokyo and Okinawa
Nine senior congressional staff members had the opportunity to deepen their political, economic, historic, and cultural knowledge of Japan while participating in a week-long trip to Okinawa and Tokyo in early June.
The trip was organized by the Congressional Study Group on Japan and sponsored by Sasakawa USA.
Topics covered throughout the week included Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's efforts to promote "womenomics," President Barack Obama's visit to Hiroshima the previous week, views on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the G7 summit, Japan's demographic challenges, and the nation's view of presumptive U.S. presidential nominees Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton
----- a topic raised in virtually every meeting by Japanese participants.
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 Op-ed: Abe's Victory Simplifies his Agenda
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling coalition won 70 of the 121 seats up for election in the House of Councilors, the Japanese Diet's upper house. That ensures the Abe government will continue to wield stable control of both parliamentary chambers, writes Sasakawa USA's
Tobias Harris in this op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal.
The Liberal Democratic Party-Komeito coalition gained enough seats that, if combined with members of several minor right-wing parties and independents may have enough votes in both houses to pass an amendment to Japan's postwar constitution for the first time, which would send the amendment to the Japanese people for a final vote.
Click here to read more.
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Announcing the Sasakawa USA Journalism Fellowship
 The Sasakawa USA Journalism Fellowship offers an opportunity for U.S.-based journalists to travel to Japan and conduct field reporting that delves deep into the economic, social, cultural, environmental, and energy-policy challenges facing the country.
In its first year, Sasakawa USA is partnering with the
International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) to administer the fellowship as part of ICFJ's
"Illuminating Today's Japan for American Audiences" program, which selects up to three U.S.-based journalists to participate in a nineteen-day reporting trip in Japan in summer and fall 2016. Sasakawa USA is proud to fully sponsor one of these trips. The application period for this fellowship is currently closed, and we look forward to announcing our first fellow in the coming months.
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Video: Panelists discuss U.S.-Japan relations under next administration
 On May 18, the Sasakawa Peace Foundation in Japan and Sasakawa USA hosted a panel discussion on U.S. defense and foreign policy under the next administration. The event featured seven emerging defense experts from Washington, D.C. who participated in the Sasakawa USA Emerging Experts Delegation (SEED) Program.
The experts considered the 2016 U.S. presidential election, where developments have heightened concerns over the fate of U.S. global leadership and foreign affairs.
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 Applications still open for the new Congressional Staff Program on Asia
Applications are being accepted through August 1 for the Congressional Staff Program on Asia, Sasakawa USA's new joint program with the East-West Center in Washington. The inaugural certificate program, running this September and October, will provide Capitol Hill staffers with an opportunity to engage U.S. officials and leading experts on a range of contemporary, policy-relevant topics in U.S.-Japan and U.S.-Asia relations.
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 Upcoming events: Summer 2016
This is a busy week for Sasakawa USA! We have three events planned in two days, though n
ot all events are open to the public. P
lease view each listing for details.
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