Japan’s New National Defense Program Guidelines: Alliance Strategies for the Third Post-Cold War Era

Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force 15th Brigade Band performs at the Camp Naha 46th Anniversary ceremony. (U.S. Marine Corp photo by Cpl. Charles Plouffe)

The security environment in Northeast Asia has become increasingly complex since 2013, when Japan last revised its National Defense Program Guidelines (NDPG). Moreover, the United States is shifting towards a sharper rivalry with China and Russia across multiple domains. At this symposium, a bilateral group of scholars and former defense officials assessed Japan’s policy priorities and defense capabilities through the lens of its newly revised guidelines and Mid-Term Defense Plan. The discussion also considered implications for the U.S.-Japan alliance and regional security in the future.

This event was co-sponsored by Sasakawa USA and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Video

Canegie Endowment for International Peace live-streamed the event. Watch a video here.

Agenda

9:00 a.m. | Opening Remarks
9:15 a.m. | Operational Aspects of the NDPG
10:45 a.m. | Policy Implications of the NDPG

Speakers

• Dr. Eric Heginbotham, Principal Research Scientist, Center for International Studies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Dr. Kathleen Hicks, Senior Vice President; Henry A. Kissinger Chair; Director, International Security Program, CSIS
• Lt.Gen. Koichi Isobe, Fellow, Harvard University Asia Center
• Mr. Masanori Nishi, Special Adviser to the Minister of Defense; Senior Advisor, Nippon Life Insurance Company
• Mr. Kaleb Redden, Director for Strategy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy, U.S. Department of Defense
• Dr. Sayuri Romei, Fellow for Security and Foreign Affairs, Sasakawa USA
• Mr. James Schoff, Senior Fellow, Asia Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
• Ms. Yuki Tatsumi, Co-Director, East Asia Program, Director, Japan Program, Stimson Center
• Ambassador James Zumwalt, CEO, Sasakawa USA