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Washington Kenkyu Group: Discussion with ADM (Ret.) Ryo Sakai
February 2, 2026 @ 12:00 pm - 1:15 pm
On February 2, Sasakawa USA hosted ADM (Ret.) Ryo Sakai, the 35th Chief of Staff of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) (2022-2024) and an inaugural International Fellow at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, for a Washington Kenkyu Group discussion on Japan’s fundamental reinforcement of its defense capabilities. Drawing on over 35 years of service in the JMSDF, ADM Sakai shared firsthand insights into the shifting security and domestic contexts that prompted Japan’s defense policy transformation, as well as the changes within the Self-Defense Forces and defense industry that followed. He also reflected on the challenges faced during implementation and discussed his views on the future of U.S.-Japan security cooperation. Participants engaged in an in-depth dialogue about the implications of defense equipment acquisition by the JMSDF since the 2022 revision of defense policy documents and coordination with the U.S. Navy, among many others.
Photo (left to right): Dr. Satohiro Akimoto, ADM (Ret.) Ryo Sakai, and RADM Takaaki Hayamizu
