Japan and the United States as Global Leaders: Sasakawa USA and SAFE’s Leadership Tour to Japan in Energy and Innovation

Sasakawa USA held an on-the-record policy lunch on December 11, 2017. The discussion reviewed Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE) and Sasakawa USA’s Leadership Tour to Japan between October 22-27. During the trip, American delegates met with corporate leaders and key Japanese government officials and visited Japan’s cutting-edge technology centers to identify best practices from both nations and promote dialogue and collaboration.

Site visits included Toyota, Denso, Nissan, JXTG Nippon Oily & Energy Corporation, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Fukushima Renewable Energy Institute, and Tokyo Electric Power Company. Moderated by Daniel Bob, Director of Programs and Senior Fellow at Sasakawa USA, the lunch featured comments from Robbie Diamond, SAFE President and CEO, and Dr. Phyllis Yoshida, Sasakawa USA’s Fellow for Energy and Technology.

Speaking broadly about the trip, Diamond praised Japan’s focus on fostering innovation in technology development. Diamond also explained the importance of Japan making progress to develop new alternatives to fuel the energy economy, such as electricity and hydrogen fuel cells. Such progress could be made through U.S.-Japan cooperation.

Sharing her thoughts on the trip, Yoshida explained that while constantly impressed by Japan’s technology, Japan isn’t as far along in autonomous vehicles as the United States. Nonetheless, the two countries can work together to bridge the technology gap. Turning towards China, Yoshida noted that China is poised to become the largest electric vehicle market in the world.

The discussion was followed by questions from the audience on Japan’s shift from nuclear energy and more.