Charleston, South Carolina, is home to The Citadel, one of the few private military institutions in the U.S., half of whose graduates will go into the military and be deployed to nations across the globe, including Japan. South Carolina’s noteworthy connections to Japan are described in the Fourth Edition 2023 Japan Matters for America book, a project produced by the East West Center and Sasakawa Peace Foundation, which collects data on U.S.-Japan connections on federal, state, and local levels. This book notes that South Carolina has received $3.8 billion in Japanese Greenfield Investments, $126 million in Japanese visitor spending, $1.3 billion in revenue from goods and services exported to Japan, nearly $800K in economic contributions by Japanese international students, and is home to over 7.5K Japanese Americans. In consideration of these factors, and per the recommendation of Citadel alumnus LtGen Larry Nicholson, distinguished senior fellow (non-resident) at Sasakawa USA, the Citadel became a stop for our U.S.-Japan Regional Alliance Series.

Sasakawa USA partnered with The Citadel’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences for the event, “Strengthening the U.S.-Japan Security Alliance in South Carolina,” on October 11, 2024. The symposium featured a keynote speaker, a historical overview, and a panel discussion and focused on the importance of the U.S.-Japan security alliance.

Event

October 11, 2024 | Charleston, South Carolina | Strengthening the U.S.-Japan Security Alliance in South Carolina

(1st Row): Col Thomas Clark, Dr. Roger Bailey, Dr. Jan Goldman, and Dr. Michael Shao-cheng Sun. (2nd Row): LtGen Larry Nicholson, ADM Tomohisa Takei, Dr. Jones, Dr. Satohiro Akimoto, and Dr. Keith Knapp

The symposium provided an opportunity for The Citadel’s students and community members to deepen their understanding of the U.S.-Japan relationship in terms of national security for the future.

The event began the afternoon of October 11, 2024, with welcome remarks from Dr. Satohiro Akimoto, chairman and president of Sasakawa USA, and Dr. Brian Jones, dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at The Citadel. The emcee for the event was Dr. Keith Knapp, professor of the history department at The Citadel. LtGen Larry Nicholson, former commanding general of the III Marine Expeditionary Force in Japan (USMC, Ret.), as well as the distinguished senior fellow (non-resident) at Sasakawa USA, provided the keynote for the event. His remarks led into a historical overview, where attendees saw presentations by Dr. Keith Knapp and Dr. Roger Bailey, assistant professor of the history at The Citadel. This section then rolled into the panel discussion, which heard commentary from Dr. Michael Shao-cheng Sun, associate professor of political science at The Citadel; Dr. Jan Goldman, professor for intelligence and security studies at The Citadel; ADM Tomohisa Takei, former 32nd chief of staff (JMSDF, Ret.); and LtGen Larry Nicholson. Col. Thomas Clark, executive director of the Krause Center for Leadership and Ethics at The Citadel, closed the event which included Citadel cadets, professors, and staff.

Col. Thomas Clark, executive director of the Krause Center for Leadership and Ethics at The Citadel

A Sasakawa USA hosted dinner was held prior to the event, in which speakers, organizers, and local U.S.-Japan experts were able to network, as well as discuss the following day’s symposium.

LtGen Larry Nicholson (USMC, Ret.)

This event was the third of a three-part Regional Alliance Series tour with ADM Tomohisa Takei and LtGen Larry Nicholson, following events at The Ohio State University and Indiana University.

For more information on these and other U.S.-Japan Regional Alliance Series events, please visit the program page here.

Agenda

All times indicated in Eastern Time

9:30 AM | Registration

10:00 AM | Welcome Remarks

10:05 AM | Keynote

10:10 AM | History Overview

10:20 AM | Panel Discussion

11:25 AM | Closing Remarks

11:30 AM | Conclusion of Event