
On May 6, 2016, Sasakawa USA brought together key security experts and officials from government, business, think tanks, and academia for its Third Annual Security Forum. Building upon the success of previous security forums, this event focused on the new U.S.-Japan Defense guidelines, Japan’s recently passed security legislation, and the future of the U.S.-Japan alliance.
Sasakawa USA welcomed distinguished guests including Japanese Minister Shigeru Ishiba, former Secretary of Defense William Cohen, former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet Scott Swift, Michael Chertoff, Ambassador Kenichiro Sasae, Ambassador Ryozo Kato, Ambassador Richard Armitage, former Japanese Minister of Defense Satoshi Morimoto, Michèle Flournoy, and many others, for this high-level discussion. Panel topics included Japan’s global security role, a new era in U.S.-Japan maritime cooperation, a view from Congress of U.S.-Japan relations, recommendations for the alliance through 2030, cyber security challenges, and the effect that the U.S. elections may have on the alliance.
Click here for a full summary of the event.
Presentations
Participants in the Security Forum conference as well as invitees who could not attend had the option of making materials and comments available to the public. Find those materials here:
• Kenji Wakamiya: Message from the State Minister of Defense for Japan (Bilingual │ 2カ国語)
• Shigeru Ishiba: Speech transcript (日本語) (Unofficial English Translation)
• The U.S.-Japan Alliance to 2030: Power and Principle: (Full report: English) (Executive summary: English) (日本語)
• Suzanne Spaulding: PowerPoint slide: Information on The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity program (English)
• Yasuhiko Taniwaki: PowerPoint presentation: Cybersecurity Strategy in Japan (English)
• Adm. Scott Swift: Speech transcript (English)
Video
This event was livestreamed in both English and with simultaneous interpretation into Japanese. View both versions below. Each playlist is divided into two videos: Part 1 for morning sessions and Part 2 for afternoon sessions.
English audio playlist:
Japanese audio playlist (日本語で聞く):
Panel Topics
9:10 a.m. | Reflections on U.S.-Japan Relations 2012–2016
9:30 a.m. | U.S.-Japan Relations: Japan’s National Interests and Global Role
10:15 a.m. | Enhancing the Alliance: The Revised U.S.-Japan Defense Guidelines and Japan’s Security Legislation
11:30 a.m. | A New Era in U.S.-Japan Maritime Cooperation
12:45 p.m. | TPP and U.S.-Japan Relations: A View from Congress and the Diet
1:45 p.m. | Sasakawa/CSIS Alliance Commission: A New Vision for the Alliance Through 2030
3:00 p.m. | Meeting the Challenge of Cyber Security
4:15 p.m. | The U.S. Elections and Japan
View the full agenda here.
Speakers
• Richard Armitage, President, Armitage International
• Fred Bergsten, Senior Fellow and Director Emeritus, PIIE
• Dennis Blair, Chairman and CEO, Sasakawa USA
• Daniel Bob, Senior Fellow and Director of Programs, Sasakawa USA
• Michael Chertoff, Executive Chairman, Chertoff Group
• William Cohen, Chairman and CEO, The Cohen Group; former Secretary of Defense
• Gerald Connolly, Member, House Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific
• Michèle Flournoy, Co-founder and CEO, CNAS
• Mike Green, Senior Vice President for Asia and Japan Chair, CSIS
• Chuck Hagel, former Secretary of Defense and U.S. Senator
• John Hamre, President and CEO, CSIS
• Jiro Hanyu, Chairman, Sasakawa Peace Foundation
• Shigeru Ishiba, Minister in Charge of Overcoming Population Decline and Vitalizing Local Economy; Minister of State for the National Strategic Special Zones
• Ryozo Kato, former Japanese Ambassador to the U.S.
• Satoshi Morimoto, President, Takushoku University; former Minister of Defense
• David Nakamura, White House Correspondent, Washington Post
• Umio Otsuka, President, JMSDF Command and Staff College
• Kenichiro Sasae, Ambassador of Japan to the United States
• Suzanne Spaulding, Under Secretary for National Protection Directorate, Department of Homeland Security
• Sheila Smith, Senior Fellow for Japan Studies, Council on Foreign Relations
• Mireya Solis, Philip Knight Chair in Japan Studies, Brookings Institution
• Scott Swift, Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet
• Keizo Takemi, Member, House of Councillors
• Yasuhiko Taniwaki, National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity
• Noboru Yamaguchi, Advisor, Sasakawa Peace Foundation