In coverage of Japanese elections, Sasakawa USA Fellow Tobias Harris key expert for media
October 24, 2017Categories: In the News
In the lead up to and aftermath of Japan’s Lower House elections on October 22, Sasakawa USA’s Tobias Harris provided expert commentary on the elections and the overall political landscape in Japan for a range of publications and media outlets including Washington Post, Financial Times, and NPR.
Tags: Diet, Japanese elections, Lower House, Shinzo Abe, yuriko koike
PM Abe’s drive to amend the Constitution: Can he overcome the hurdles?
October 2, 2017Author: Takenaka Harukata
Categories: In-Depth with Nippon.com
Prime Minister Abe is aiming to amend the Constitution of Japan by 2020. But support for his administration has declined sharply, and if he insists on pushing ahead with the amendment process according to his intended schedule, he runs the risk of failing both at revising the Constitution and at holding on to power.
Tags: Abe, Abe administration, amendment, constitution, constitutional revision, Diet, Japan, LDP, nippon.com, Politics, Shinzo Abe, snap election
Beyond article 9: Broader considerations for Japanese constitutional reform
August 24, 2017Author: Inoue Takeshi
Categories: In-Depth with Nippon.com
In Japan, debate over constitutional revision tends to focus narrowly on such hot-button issues as Article 9 and the status of the emperor. Constitutional scholar Inoue Takeshi argues for a broader conversation—encompassing such issues as environmental rights, gender parity, and intergenerational equity—to pave the way for reforms needed to strengthen and modernize Japan’s democracy.
Tags: constitutional revision, Diet, House of Representatives, japanese constitution
U.S.-Japan cooperation in defense, trade, and cybersecurity discussed at Fourth Annual Security Forum
May 15, 2017Author: Hayley Aron
Categories: Sasakawa USA Blog
Sasakawa USA’s Fourth Annual Security Forum brought together government officials, academics, and security experts for a day-long conference on Asian security within the context of the U.S.-Japan alliance. The event provided diverse views on challenging issues with panel discussions on topics such as congressional views on trade, U.S.-Japan defense policies, the North Korean threat, and cybersecurity cooperation.
Tags: Annual Security Forum, China, Congress, cybersecurity, Diet, DPJ, Japan, LDP, missile defense, North Korea, North Korea missile, South Korea, TPP, Trans-Pacific Partnership
Abe reaches for a constitutional legacy
May 10, 2017Author: Tobias Harris
Categories: In the News, Sasakawa USA Blog
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has always been open about his commitment to revising Japan’s postwar constitution, so his pledge to amend the document by 2020 was hardly a surprise. Strong as Mr. Abe’s zeal on the subject is, his pragmatism will determine whether he achieves his mission.
Tags: constitutional revision, Diet, LDP, New Komeito, Shinzo Abe