Included in this issue of the newsletter:
- Message from Sasakawa USA's Chairman, Satohiro Akimoto
April Activities
- Policy Briefing: The Biden Administration’s Indo-Pacific Policy: American and Japanese Perspectives with The Hon. Randall G. Schriver, Amb. Kurt Tong, and The Hon. Masashi Adachi
- U.S. Naval Academy Class of 2021 Midshipmen Send-off: Celebrating Future Leaders of the U.S.-Japan Alliance
- Washington Kenkyu Group: A Discussion with Mr. Yoshihiro Kato
- Roundtable Discussion: Building the TOMODACHI Generation: Careers in U.S.-Japan Relations
Publications
- Japan Political Pulse: Despite Serious Challenges, PM Suga Makes Way Toward Lower House Snap Election (Akimoto)
- Commentary and Analysis: Strengthening the U.S.-Japan Partnership in Asia (Zumwalt)
- Japan Looking Ahead: Current Status and Issues Surrounding the COVID-19 Vaccines (Takuma)
- Japan Looking Ahead: Public Health Nursing in Japan: Lessons from Past and Present (Goto and Yumiya)
- Japan Times: Why Sanctions Could Worsen the Tragedy in Myanmar: The U.S. and Japan Have a Chance to Formulate a More Sophisticated and Nuanced Approach (Akimoto)
Recaps
- Japan U.S. Military Program (JUMP) Annual Event: Operation TOMODACHI: A Ten-Year Commemoration Featuring H.E. Koji Tomita, ADM. Patrick M. Walsh, GEN. Ryoichi Oriki, and MG Hiroyuki Sugai
- Congressional Study Group on Japan: First 100 Days of the 117th Congress
- National Cherry Blossom Festival: Resiliency and Friendship: Reflections on 3.11
Upcoming Activities
- Policy Briefing: The State of U.S.-Japan Economic Relations: What Is Working and What Is Needed Featuring Mr. Kenichiro Mizoguchi, Mr. Shinsuke Takahashi, and Ms. Misato Kogure
Announcements
- Dr. Joseph S. Nye, Jr. Joins Advisory Committee
|
|
Message from Sasakawa USA's Chairman, Satohiro Akimoto
|
|
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga visited the White House to meet with President Joe Biden on April 16, as the first foreign leader to be invited for an in-person meeting with the new president. Suga, whose forte is not foreign policies and national security issues, aggressively worked for this opportunity. It is important for him to show the LDP top brass and Japanese voters that he can handle the critically important bilateral relationship as successfully as his predecessor, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, to survive as party president to extend his term as prime minister.
More importantly from the viewpoint of the international community, it was a symbolic cementing of the critically important security alliance between the U.S. and Japan. It was also a public display of how firm and sound the bilateral security alliance is and how high the level of trust is between the two new leaders. An ASEAN diplomat told me that the summit between Suga and Biden was closely observed by ASEAN member embassies in Washington. The diplomat saw the summit between Biden and Suga as “Biden’s firm commitment to Asia and Japan as the most important ally in his administration's Asia policy.”
The summit was symbolic but substantive as well. The most important subject matter was China. Biden has been systematically paving the way with Suga via various channels – an individual telephone conversation, a QUAD summit, a Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting, and a U.S.-Japan-South Korea trilateral. For the first time in the highest level of joint statements, the U.S. and Japan explicitly mention China by name and expressed concerns over “Chinese activities that are inconsistent with the international rules-based order, including the use of economic and other forms of coercion.” The Japanese media was all over Taiwan as it was mentioned for the first time since the 1969 summit between Prime Minister Eisaku Sato and President Richard Nixon, “We underscore the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan strait and encourage the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues.”
While there is no doubt that China loomed large in the U.S.-Japan summit, Biden and Suga made concrete progress of strategic significance. The U.S. and Japan launched two initiatives as described in the Joint Leaders’ Statement: "U.S.-Japan Global Partnership for a New Era." The Competitiveness and Resilience (CoRe) Partnership addresses a wide range of critical strategic issues such as advanced technologies, COVID-19, global health, climate change, clean energy and green growth, and recovery. The U.S.-Japan Climate Partnership addresses specific issues in combating climate change such as the Paris Agreement implementation, achievement of the 2030 targets, clean energy technology development, and support decarbonization in other Indo-Pacific countries.
The Biden and Suga summit was successful both symbolically and in substance. Both the U.S. and Japan made a great deal of effort to make it so. The U.S. showed a high level of thoughtfulness to the Japanese request by holding a tete-a-tete lunch between the leaders. With the success of the summit, the U.S. and Japan face concrete challenges to realistically follow up on while maintaining focus and energy amid difficult domestic politics.
|
|
Policy Briefing: The Biden Administration’s Indo-Pacific Policy: American and Japanese Perspectives with The Hon. Randall G. Schriver, Amb. Kurt Tong, and The Hon. Masashi Adachi
|
|
On April 13, Sasakawa USA hosted a virtual event titled, “The Biden Administration’s Indo-Pacific Policy: American and Japanese Perspectives.” This event featured Amb. Kurt Tong, Partner at The Asia Group; The Hon. Randall G. Schriver, former Assistant Secretary of Defense, Indo-Pacific Affairs at the U.S. Department of Defense; and The Hon. Masashi Adachi, Special Advisor to Prime Minister Suga. Together, these distinguished speakers discussed how the Biden administration will tackle key issues in Asia, including competition with China, management of alliances, and reestablishment of leadership in this critical region. A video and recap of the event are available here.
Event video: clockwise from top left, Hon. Adahi, Amb. Tong, Dr. Akimoto, and Hon. Schriver
|
|
U.S. Naval Academy Class of 2021 Midshipmen Send-off: Celebrating Future Leaders of the U.S.-Japan Alliance
|
|
On April 29, the Embassy of Japan hosted a special event celebrating the latest class of U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) midshipmen who are soon to be stationed in Japan. H.E. Koji Tomita, Ambassador of Japan to the United States, opened the program, welcoming the midshipman to Japan and reflecting on the strength of the U.S.-Japan military alliance. Dr. Satohiro Akimoto, Chairman and President of Sasakawa USA, then introduced the Japan-U.S. Military Program (JUMP) and its role in building a network for U.S. military members that have served in Japan. Next, CAPT Hiroyuki Sano, Naval Attaché at the Embassy of Japan, provided remarks honoring the achievements and service of the midshipmen. Finally, RADM James “Jamie” Kelly, former Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Japan and a graduate of the USNA, reflected on the history and ongoing mission of the U.S.-Japan alliance. Sasakawa USA supported the program together with the USNA, the Defense Section of the Embassy of Japan, and JUMP.
Photo: H.E. Tomita, CAPT Sano, and RADM Kelly, USN (Ret.)
|
|
Washington Kenkyu Group: A Discussion with Mr. Yoshihiro Kato
|
|
On April 20, Sasakawa USA Washington Kenkyu Group welcomed Mr. Yoshihiro Kato, Partner at Holzworth & Kato, PC, for a discussion on the United States and Japan semiconductor supply chains. During this off-the-record virtual roundtable moderated by Dr. Satohiro Akimoto, Chairman and President of Sasakawa USA, Mr. Kato talked about U.S-Japan cooperation in the United States’ semiconductors arena, followed by a lively Q&A session. The discussion had prominent guests from various sectors including the diplomatic corps, think tanks, private sector, as well as media. Sasakawa USA continues to organize more Washington Kenkyu Group events highlighting important voices on how to promote international cooperation and strengthen ties between the United States and Japan.
Photo: Mr. Kato
|
|
Roundtable Discussion: Building the TOMODACHI Generation: Careers in U.S.-Japan Relations
|
|
On April 16, Shanti Shoji, Sasakawa USA Director of Programs, spoke at “Careers in U.S.-Japan Relations” a panel discussion for American and Japanese alumni of The Washington Center’s Building the TOMODACHI Generation program. Panelists, who came from the U.S.-Japan non-profit and private sectors, discussed with college and early-career alumni about their personal career paths and the work they are doing to strengthen the U.S.-Japan relationship. Alumni were then able to move between break-out groups to engage one-on-one with each panelist to seek insight and guidance on working in the U.S.-Japan space. Alumni from across the U.S. and Japan joined the conversation which brought about lively discussions in the break-out rooms on various aspects of working in U.S.-Japan relations.
|
|
Japan Political Pulse: Despite Serious Challenges, PM Suga Makes Way Toward Lower House Snap Election (Akimoto)
|
|
In his latest Japan Political Pulse article, “Despite Serious Challenges, PM Suga Makes Way Toward Lower House Snap Election,” Dr. Satohiro Akimoto, Chairman and President of Sasakawa USA, casts light on the complicated current domestic political situation in Japan. Dr. Akimoto analyzes how Prime Minister Suga chugs along for the Lower House snap-election and the party presidency election amid many challenges both domestic and international. He provides his insights about several important factors in Japan’s domestic political landscape which may favor Prime Minister Suga’s desire to be re-elected as LDP party president and hence continue as the national leader of Japan, assuming no serious political crises arise caused by challenges such as containing the COVID-19 pandemic, holding the Summer Olympics and Paralympics, and maintaining LDP unity.
|
|
Japan Looking Ahead: Strengthening the U.S.-Japan Partnership in Asia (Zumwalt)
|
|
Ambassador James Zumwalt, Sasakawa USA Distinguished Senior Fellow (Non-Resident), has published a paper titled, “Strengthening the U.S.-Japan Partnership in Asia”, where he emphasizes the importance and potential of increasing U.S.-Japan coordination in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. Amb. Zumwalt argues that APEC with its strong government-business collaboration provides an ideal venue for the United States to reenergize its involvement in the Indo-Pacific. It is also a way for Japan to further strengthen its alliance with the U.S. while jointly promoting regional economic growth.
Photo: Amb. Zumwalt
|
|
Japan Looking Ahead: Current Status and Issues Surrounding the COVID-19 Vaccines (Takuma)
|
|
Sasakawa USA is pleased to publish the first paper in a new project, Japan Looking Ahead, which looks at contemporary issues that Japan can take a leading role in addressing or offer novel solutions to. In this paper, Dr. Kayo Takuma, Professor of International Politics at Tokyo Metropolitan University, examines the current state of global access to COVID-19 vaccines, what challenges lie ahead, and how Japan can work with international partners to ensure equitable access to vaccines worldwide. The paper can be viewed on Sasakawa USA’s website here.
Photo: Dr. Takuma
|
|
Japan Looking Ahead: Public Health Nursing in Japan: Lessons from Past and Present (Goto and Yumiya)
|
|
Sasakawa USA is also pleased to announce the upcoming publication of the second paper in the Japan Looking Ahead series. In this paper, Dr. Aya Goto, Professor at Fukushima Medical University, and Dr. Yui Yumiya, Post-Doctoral Researcher at Fukushima Medical University, analyze Japan’s public health nursing system. By both examining the history and development of the modern public health nursing profession and surveying contemporary nurses about the challenges they face, Dr. Goto and Dr. Yumiya offer recommendations on how the system can evolve to meet current public health needs. Please stay tuned to Sasakawa USA’s publications page for the launch of this exciting paper in the first week of May.
Photo: Dr. Goto and Dr. Yumiya
|
|
Japan Times: Why Sanctions Could Worsen the Tragedy in Myanmar: The U.S. and Japan Have a Chance to Formulate a More Sophisticated and Nuanced Approach (Akimoto)
|
|
In his latest Japan Times op-ed article, " Why sanctions could worsen the tragedy in Myanmar: The U.S. and Japan have a chance to formulate a more sophisticated and nuanced approach," Dr. Satohiro Akimoto, Chairman and President of Sasakawa USA, argued that imposing sanctions on Myanmar would not be effective in bringing policy change on the part of the military and halting violence against protesters. Instead, Dr. Akimoto stated that the United States and Japan should work together in a realistic way with Myanmar having a complex set of domestic and international elements in mind. Dr. Akimoto points out that Myanmar is a test case for the United States and Japan to see if they can work together within the Free and Open Indo-Pacific Vision framework while coordinating with ASEAN and potentially China and India as well.
Photo: THET AUNG/AFP via Getty Images
|
|
Japan U.S. Military Program (JUMP) Annual Event: Operation TOMODACHI: A Ten-Year Commemoration Featuring H.E. Koji Tomita, ADM. Patrick M. Walsh, GEN. Ryoichi Oriki, and MG Hiroyuki Sugai
|
|
On March 3, JUMP hosted an online event in partnership with Sasakawa USA and the Embassy of Japan in the United States commemorating ten years since Operation TOMODACHI, a joint effort between the U.S. and Japanese militaries to provide disaster relief in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. H.E. Koji Tomita, Ambassador of Japan to the United States, provided opening remarks touching on the importance of friendship between the United States and Japan. MG Hiroyuki Sugai, Defense and Air Attaché at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C., followed by reiterating the strength of the U.S.-Japan alliance during this critical period. Next, Adm. Patrick M. Walsh, USN (Ret.) and Gen. Ryoichi Oriki, JGSDF (Ret.), the commanders of the U.S. and Japanese military divisions that led Operation TOMODACHI, reflected on the importance and legacy of mutual friendship built by this joint effort. Following these featured remarks, four military officers involved in Operation TOMODACHI—Lt Gen. Burton M. Field, USAF (Ret.), VADM Scott Van Buskirk, USN (Ret.), Lt Gen. Koichiro Bansho, JGSDF (Ret.), and Gen. Gary North, USAF (Ret.)—provided their own perspectives on this critical mission and the U.S.-Japan alliance. A video and recap of the event are available here.
Photo: H.E. Tomita, Adm. Walsh, Gen. Oriki, and MG Sugai
|
|
Congressional Study Group on Japan: First 100 Days of the 117th Congress
|
|
On March 30, Sasakawa USA, in partnership with the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress (FMC), co-hosted an event on the key Pacific security policy priorities of the 117th Congress. During the event, Representative Don Bacon (R-NE) and Representative Marc Veasey (D-TX) discussed Congress’ role in developing U.S. strategy in the Indo-Pacific and shared their views on important issues facing the region and their impact on the Armed Services Committee decision making. The Hon. Peter Roskam (R-IL, 2007-2019) moderated the event. A recap and video of this event can be accessed here.
|
|
National Cherry Blossom Festival: Resiliency and Friendship: Reflections on 3.11
|
|
On March 23, Sasakawa USA, as part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, hosted a virtual event titled, “Resiliency & Friendship: Reflections on 3.11.” This event featured Ambassador John Roos, Partner and Co-Founder of Geodesic Capital and U.S. Ambassador to Japan from 2009-2013; Ms. Susie Roos, Partner and CAO at Geodesic Capital; and Ms. Suzanne Basalla, President and CEO of U.S.-Japan Council and Senior Advisor to Ambassador Roos at the U.S. Embassy Tokyo from 2010-2012. The event took place in the form of a virtual fireside chat where each speaker recounted their personal stories of being in Tokyo on March 11, 2011, when the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred. Amb. Roos, Ms. Roos, and Ms. Basalla reflected on the resulting challenges and successes that brought the United States and Japan closer together in working towards recovery in the Tohoku region. A video and recap of the event can be found here.
Event video: clockwise from top left, Ms. Shoji, Ms. Roos, Ms. Basalla, and Amb. Roos
|
|
Policy Briefing: The State of U.S.-Japan Economic Relations: What Is Working and What Is Needed Featuring Mr. Kenichiro Mizoguchi, Mr. Shinsuke Takahashi, and Ms. Misato Kogure
|
|
Sasakawa USA is pleased to host a virtual event on May 20 featuring Mr. Kenichiro Mizoguchi of Hitachi Ltd., Mr. Shinsuke Takahashi of NEC Corporation of America, and Ms. Misato Kogure of Daikin U.S. Corporation, for a discussion on U.S.-Japan economic ties. Economic strategy has become a critical part of the U.S.-Japan relationship, with Japan overtaking the United Kingdom as the largest source of foreign direct investment in the United States in 2019. President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga also made economic initiatives a key issue in their summit meeting on April 16. Our speakers will discuss their firms’ approaches to investment in the United States and discuss the importance of further developing U.S.-Japan cooperation on economic issues, including multilateral trade and competition with China.
Photo: Mr. Mizoguchi, Mr. Takahashi, and Ms. Kogure
|
|
Dr. Joseph S. Nye, Jr. Joins Advisory Committee
|
|
Sasakawa USA is pleased to announce that Dr. Joseph S. Nye, Jr., University Distinguished Service Professor, Emeritus, Harvard University, has joined its Advisory Committee on Projects. The Advisory Committee consists of four prominent leaders in global affairs: Amb. Melanne Verveer, Executive Director of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security; Amb. Kurt Tong, Partner of The Asia Group; The Hon. Randall G. Schriver, Chairman of the Project 2049 Institute; and Dr. Joseph S. Nye. Jr. Through the experience and expertise of this committee, Sasakawa USA will continue to play a critical role in strengthening the U.S.-Japan relationship by enriching policy discussions, research, publications, and networks.
Photo: Dr. Nye
|
|
Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA
1819 L Street, NW
Suite 300
Washington DC 20026
202.296.6694
|
|
|
|
|
|
|