Japan’s pacifism and America’s gun culture: Views from a Global Classmates Summit participant
Author: Shun Wetlesen
Categories: Sasakawa USA Blog
Author’s note from Shun Wetlesen, a freshman studying at Pacific University: “I am half-Japanese and half-American which has resulted in my strong interest in U.S-Japan relations. This summer I was selected to participate in the Global Classmates Summit, held in Washington, D.C. from July 26 to August 4.” The Global Classmates Summit is a ten-day
Tags: article 9, Global Classmates, Global Classmates Summit, gun culture debate, Japan, Kizuna Across Cultures, Pacifism
Strategic Distraction: America, China, and Japan in the 21st Century Competitive Space
Author: Sharon Burke, Senior Advisor and Program Director, New America
Categories: Sasakawa USA Alumni
The Honorable Sharon Burke participated in the Sasakawa USA 2017-2018 In-Depth Alumni Research Trip to Japan. In this paper, Burke posits that Japan–playing to its strengths as a security builder–has an opportunity to improve global readiness for the great security challenges of the later part of this century, not all of which are military in nature.
Tags: Belt and Road Initiative, China, cybersecurity, foreign policy, Japan, military, North Korea, security, South China Sea, us-japan alliance, us-japan relations
Japan’s Changing Electricity Market: Recommendations for Policy Makers
Author: Tarak Shah, Energy Policy Consultant
Energy policy consultant Tarak Shah participated in the Sasakawa USA 2017-2018 In-Depth Alumni Research Trip to Japan. In this paper, Shah highlights current trends in the Japanese electricity market, notes areas of strength, and outlines specific changes that Japanese policy makers could implement for a safer, cleaner energy future.
Tags: energy, energy policy, Fukushima, Japan, Nuclear, renewable energy
Japan’s Plutonium Question
Author: Dr. Phyllis Genther Yoshida, Senior Fellow for Energy and Technology, Sasakawa USA
Categories: Sasakawa USA Blog
Japan must reassess the appropriate supply-demand balance of its plutonium stocks upon completion of its new energy plan. Japan has about 47 tons of separated plutonium onshore and stored in France and Great Britain for reprocessing into commercial fuel with a small amount reserved for research purposes.
Tags: Japan, Nuclear, nuclear anti-proliferation, Plutonium, security, us-japan alliance, us-japan relations
U.S.-Japan Diplomacy and the Singapore Summit: Assessing the Outcomes
Author: Darah Phillip, Research Assistant, Sasakawa USA
Categories: Sasakawa USA Blog
After weeks of dialogue between U.S. and Japanese leaders on North Korea, the immediate results of the June 12 summit between President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un left much to be desired for Japan and U.S.-Japan relations. Not only did the joint statement fail to address Japanese abductees in North Korea or the security threat posed by North Korean missiles, but Trump also indicated his willingness to concede alliance agreements for vague gains by mentioning ending “war games” jointly held by South Korea and the United States.
Tags: Abe, donald trump, foreign policy, Japan, Korea, North Korea, security, Shinzo Abe, South Korea, us-japan alliance, us-japan relations