
Call for papers: Sasakawa USA Forum
April 11, 2017Categories: Sasakawa USA Blog
Sasakawa USA is accepting submissions for the Sasakawa USA Forum, a platform for research and analysis related to Japan and U.S.-Japan relations in a bilateral, regional, and global context. In order to gain a more comprehensive view of U.S.-Japan relations, the Sasakawa USA Forum offers experts outside Sasakawa USA a chance to bring their work to a wide audience.
Tags: call for papers, sasakawa usa forum, us-japan relations

Japan’s Realism and Liberalism
March 27, 2017Author: Junjiro Shida
Categories: Sasakawa USA Forum
Sasakawa USA Forum Issue No. 6
In 2011, under the Thein Sein administration, the global community welcomed a “newborn” Myanmar. Now, the future course of the country is receiving attention from various actors in the global arena. As a global player, cooperating with its allied partner the United States, Japan is ready to assist Myanmar’s efforts at all levels. In tackling challenges in Myanmar through the mechanism of the U.S.-Japan alliance, Japan’s well-balanced realism and liberalism are required.
Tags: democracy, Japan, liberalism, Myanmar, realism, sasakawa usa forum, us-japan cooperation

The Trans-Pacific Partnership: A Japanese Perspective
October 26, 2016Author: Kayo Matsumoto
Categories: Sasakawa USA Forum
Sasakawa USA Forum Issue No. 5
The “Abenomics Acceleration Diet” opened in September with passage of the TPP as one of their goals. Will TPP be ratified in this Diet session? It is difficult to predict, but the Abe administration has made TPP and passage of its implementing bills a high priority. The Diet debate will surely be heated, and among the contentious issues will not only be TPP’s impact on Japan and its agriculture industry but also the status of ratification in the United States.
Tags: Abenomics, Barack Obama, Business, Diet, donald trump, economic cooperation, Economy, hillary clinton, Japan, kayo Matsumoto, Obama, policy, ratification, sasakawa usa forum, Shinzo Abe, TPP, trade, trade agreement, trade policy, Trans-Pacific Partnership, United States

The Persistent Power of 1 Percent
September 22, 2016Author: John C. Wright
Categories: Sasakawa USA Forum
Sasakawa USA Forum Issue No. 4
Among the choices that have complicated Japanese defense, one of the most consequential has been Japan’s self-imposed limit on national defense spending. Issued in 1976 and abolished in 1987, the impact of Japan’s decision to limit military spending to 1 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) is still felt today. By examining Japan’s decision to impose a 1 percent limit on its own military spending, we can better understand current Asia-Pacific regional defense arrangements.
Tags: 1 percent, Asia, budget, cold war, Defense, defense budget, defense capability, defense spending, east Asia, Economy, GDP, influence, Japan, john c. wright, military, military spending, regional defense, regional security, Russia, sasakawa usa forum, SDF, security, self-defense forces, spending cap, spending limits, weapons, weapons acquisition

Next Steps for U.S.-Japan Security Cooperation
June 8, 2016Author: Rachel Hoff
Categories: Sasakawa USA Forum
Sasakawa USA Forum Issue No. 3
In recent years, the United States and Japan have taken significant steps toward a stronger security alliance. While recent efforts to remove some of the legal and structural obstacles that have prohibited Japan from playing a larger role in the alliance have set the stage for a new era of U.S.-Japan defense cooperation, serious challenges remain to implement and operationalize the new reforms and mechanisms.
Tags: alliance, Asia Pacific, China, Defense, defense cooperation, North Korea, rachel hoff, research, Russia, sasakawa usa forum, security, security alliance, security cooperation, us-japan alliance