On June 10, 2026, Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA (through its U.S.-Japan NEXT Alliance Initiative) hosted a roundtable discussion on AI alignment challenges and national security, focusing on the distinct nature of these potential risks and the implications for U.S.-Japan alliance collaboration.
On November 5, 2025, the US-Japan NEXT Alliance Initiative convened a hybrid lunchtime roundtable dialogue called “Allied on AI Assurance: US States on AI governance, National Competition with China, and US-Japan Alliance Implications” to draw on recent publications to assess the key issues identified for developing AI governance at a state level and how these actions fit with US security concerns vis-a-vis China and AI.
On June 24, 2025, US-Japan NEXT Alliance initiative hosted a roundtable dialogue to discuss evolving American and Japanese AI governance approaches for AI safety and security, identify possible areas of collaboration, and help mitigate areas of divergence with a bilateral group of over 20 experts including current and former government officials, lab researchers, think tank scholars and engineers.
On March 10, 2025, the US-Japan NEXT Alliance Initiative convened its seventh hybrid bilateral cybersecurity dialogue, this time on adapting collaboration under new administrations. Senior Director Jim Schoff welcomed around 19 American and Japanese specialists to the event from both governments, think tanks, and the private sector. This hybrid event featured presentations by Ms. Mihoko Matsubara, Chief Cybersecurity Strategist of NTT Corporation (and Sasakawa USA non-resident scholar) and Mr. Dave Beabout, CISO at NTT Security Holdings. Mr. Schoff then moderated a discussion section where participants covered a range of related topics including flux within the US government, multi-lateral allied information sharing, and cybersecurity threats.
On January 29, the US-Japan NEXT Alliance Initiative convened an in-person lunchtime roundtable dialogue on the relationship between the current US nuclear modernization program, alliance defense policy making, and efforts to strengthen extended deterrence within a multi-polar nuclear threat environment.
The US-Japan NEXT Alliance Initiative hosted a lunchtime book launch and policy roundtable on September 19 for the recent publication of “On the Frontlines of Operation TOMODACHI: Japan-US Coordination During Crisis” by Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Koichi Isobe, former Commander of Eastern Army, Japan Ground Self-Defense Forces.
On Friday July 19, 2024 the NEXT Alliance Initiative co-organized with Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) a roundtable discussion with national laboratory and university AI researchers sharing examples and outcomes from their AI safety and security research.
On Thursday July 18, 2024 the NEXT Alliance Initiative co-organized with PwC Japan convened a three-session roundtable dialogue on AI Safety and Data Trust during the "NEXT Alliance Initiative Japan Study Trip, Tokyo 2024." Senior Director Jim Schoff welcomed around 18 American and Japanese specialists to the event.
On Tuesday June 11, 2024, the NEXT Alliance Initiative convened its sixth hybrid bilateral dialogue on hybrid bilateral dialogue on Mapping the Future of US-Japan Cybersecurity Cooperation. Senior Director Jim Schoff welcomed 20 American and Japanese specialists to the event from both governments, think tanks, and the private sector. This hybrid event featured Mr. Andrew Herrmann (Division Chief, Strategic Workforce Planning Office, Department of State) and Mr. Hiroshi Sasaki (Industrial Cyber Security Center of Excellence ICSCoE, METI) who discussed how the US and Japan are preparing future cybersecurity workforces through initiatives to recruit, retain, and reskill professionals, and consider alliance collaboration in cybersecurity workforce development.
On Tuesday May 14, 2024, the NEXT Alliance Initiative convened its fifth hybrid bilateral dialogue on hybrid bilateral dialogue on Mapping the Future of US-Japan Cybersecurity Cooperation. Senior Director Jim Schoff welcomed 20 American and Japanese specialists to the event from both governments, think tanks, and the private sector. Ms. Mihoko Matsubara, Chief Cybersecurity Strategist of NTT and Mr. Taro Hashimoto, Visiting Fellow from NTT at CSIS each gave presentations to kick off the discussion. The focus of the event was a roadmap of US-Japan cybersecurity cooperation in the wake of the Biden-Kishida summit that occurred in Washington last month.
On Wednesday, March 13, 2024, the US-Japan NEXT Alliance Initiative hosted a group of PhD candidates and their academic advisors from Keio University for a roundtable on their research topics. Together with Sasakawa USA President Satohiro Akimoto and Sr. Director Jim Schof, along with Professor Andrew Oros of Washington College, the group discussed each dissertation topic in turn, considered various linkages to (implications for) the US-Japan alliance, and provided feedback to the young scholars.
On Wednesday, December 13, 2023 the US-Japan NEXT Alliance Initiative hosted a virtual bilateral dialogue on “US-Japan Command Relationships for New Challenges.” The dialogue built upon group discussion at the NEXT Alliance Conferences (NAC) held in March in Tokyo and October in Annapolis.
On Friday November 3, 2023, the NEXT Alliance Initiative convened its fourth hybrid bilateral dialogue on the opportunity to enhance Japan-US cyber threat hunting collaboration and expanding Japan’s use of Active Cyber Defense (ACD). Senior Director Jim Schoff welcomed a dozen American and Japanese specialists to the event from both governments, think tanks, and the private sector. Ms. Mihoko Matsubara (Chief Cybersecurity Strategist at NTT) and Mr. Taro Hashimoto (Visiting Fellow from NTT at the Center for Strategic and International Studies) gave opening presentations that touched on positive threat-hunting lessons from Ukraine’s experience, as well as opportunities to develop closer ACD cooperation between government and Internet service providers. The group discussed a range of related topics including cross-sector and multilateral cybersecurity cooperation, enhancing information-sharing infrastructure, and streamlining public-private and interagency relationships to build up shared knowledge more quickly about potential cyber threats.
On Wednesday June 21, 2023, NEXT Alliance Initiative convened a hybrid roundtable dialogue on Japan’s pending cybersecurity reforms. The event featured a presentation by Taro Hashimoto of CSIS and NTT, and a discussion on recent developments in national strategies, interagency coordination, active cyber defense, and information sharing. In attendance were government and industry stakeholders from the US and Japan contributed their thoughts on Japan’s evolving cybersecurity infrastructure and implications for bilateral cooperation. The dialogue will support our Initiative’s efforts in producing a web-based interactive mapping tool to enhance mutual understanding of cybersecurity processes.
On Thursday May 18, 2023, NEXT Alliance Initiative convened a roundtable dialogue on command relationships for new challenges facing the US-Japan alliance. The event featured senior fellow at CSIS and NAC participant John Schaus, who authored a paper after the conference highlighting his thoughts on the urgent alliance venture and the US approach to bilateral planning. The discussion delved into Mr. Schaus’ proposed concepts to guide the US and Japan towards closer C2 arrangements. The task force will continue deliberations in 2023, culminating in the NEXT Alliance Conference in October 2023 to be held in DC-Annapolis.
On Friday May 5, 2023, the US-Japan NEXT Alliance Initiative convened a bilateral dialogue on China’s apparent economic security retaliation against the allies. The in-person event took advantage of the Washington visit by Japan’s former Economic Security Minister Takayuki Kobayashi, who was participating in the third annual Integrated Security Dialogue (ISD) organized by Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA. The ISD is a high-level Japanese parliamentary delegation of six members focusing on the intersection of traditional national security, economic security, and technology security.
On Wednesday, December 21, 2022, the US-Japan NEXT Alliance Initiative hosted its first bilateral US-Japan task force on command relationships for new challenges. The focus was on Japan's new National Defense Strategy, implications for future alliance security cooperation, and options for more integrated planning and operational activities. This event is part of a longer-term series of mostly bilateral discussion planned by NEXT for 2022-23.
On Thursday, October 13, 2022, the US-Japan NEXT Alliance Initiative hosted a bilateral dialogue on fostering democracy in Southeast Asia. This event took advantage of the Washington visit by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Senior Vice President Keiichiro Nakazawa, who shared his views on Southeast Asia democratization, ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific, and recent US policies and efforts.
On September 20, 2022, the US-Japan NEXT Alliance Initiative held a bilateral dialogue to discuss deterrence prospects in the space, cyber, and electromagnetic domains. The event took advantage of the Washington visit by Sasakawa Peace Foundation project members, Mr. Sugio Takahashi (Head of Defense Policy Division at Japan’s National Institute for Defense Studies) and Mr. Junichi Fukuda (Sr. Research Fellow, Sasakawa Peace Foundation), who shared some early findings of their group’s research entitled "US-Japan Deterrence in the New Domains.”
The US-Japan NEXT Alliance Initiative hosted a bilateral dialogue on mapping the future of US-Japan Cybersecurity Cooperation. The in-person event welcomed around a dozen American and Japanese participants from government departments and think tanks.
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