Included in this issue of the newsletter:

June Activities

• Sasakawa USA Emerging Experts Delegation (SEED): Pre-departure Briefings on WPS and DRR/Gender
• US-Japan NEXT Alliance Initiative: Cybersecurity Roundtable with Mr. Andrew Herrmann
• U.S.-Japan Research Exchange: Mr. Masayuki Masuda
• Rising Indo-Pacific Security Experts (RISE): Event with Mr. Masayuki Masuda

External Engagements

• State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program: Women, Peace and Security (WPS) within the U.S.-Japan Alliance
• Mr. James Schoff Participates in War Games Hosted by CSIS and MIT

Upcoming Activities

• US-Japan NEXT Alliance Initiative: AI Study Trip to Japan

Announcements

• Sasakawa USA Unveils Its New Conference Venue
• US-Japan NEXT Alliance Initiative: 2024 Summer Intern Mr. Matthew Willis

Featured Intern

• Ms. Risa "Lisa" Yamashita

June Activities

Sasakawa USA Emerging Experts Delegation (SEED):

Pre-departure Briefings on WPS and DRR/Gender

On June 6, Sasakawa USA held the second pre-departure briefing for the delegates of the 2024 Sasakawa USA Emerging Experts Delegation (SEED) on Strengthening Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) through Women, Peace and Security (WPS), which will take place in Japan from July 7-14. The session featured remarks from Ms. Maryruth Belsey-Priebe, director for WPS Programs at Pacific Forum International and a delegate in this year’s cohort, and Ms. Shanti Shoji, director of Programs at Sasakawa USA who will be leading the delegation’s study trip. Ms. Shoji began the session by introducing the basic principles of the WPS framework, along with a historical overview and progress that has been made to integrate WPS into the U.S.-Japan alliance. Ms. Belsey-Priebe followed by outlining the importance of the meaningful inclusion of women throughout all levels of decision-making, as well as the application of a gender perspective to improve human security, and thus national and international security. This background meeting provided an opportunity for delegates to gain a baseline understanding of how WPS can lead to more resilient and equitable security outcomes in a disaster context.

The third pre-departure briefing for SEED on June 21, focused on providing a baseline understanding of gender and DRR in Japan, featured briefings from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), a government agency that plays a pivotal role in implementing Japan’s Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan. Mr. Yukinari Hosokawa, deputy director general and group director for Disaster Risk Reduction in the Global Environment Department, and Ms. Keiko Mizoe, from the Office for Gender Equality and Poverty Reduction in the Governance and Peacebuilding Department, provided a backdrop on the efforts that Japan and JICA, in particular, have made to integrate a gender lens within their DRR activities. Following their comprehensive presentations, the delegates and briefers shared an insightful exchange regarding challenges to promoting gender-inclusive DRR policies that continue to persist in both Japan and the U.S., such as mobility issues and education.

The 2024 SEED program will take place in Tokyo, Sendai, Minamisanriku, and Noto from July 7 to 14. Following the study trip, delegates will synthesize their findings and share policy recommendations for future U.S.-Japan collaboration on the integration of WPS within DRR. A policy recommendation report based upon these individual reports will be published, as well. The full list of delegates can be found on Sasakawa USA’s website. 

US-Japan NEXT Alliance Initiative:

Cybersecurity Roundtable with Mr. Andrew Herrmann

On June 11, the US-Japan NEXT Alliance Initiative convened its sixth bilateral dialogue on "Mapping the Future of U.S.-Japan Cybersecurity Cooperation." Senior Director Mr. James Schoff welcomed 20 American and Japanese specialists to the event from government, think tanks, and the private sector. This event featured Mr. Andrew Herrmann, division chief of the Strategic Workforce Planning Office at the U.S. Department of State, and Mr. Hiroshi Sasaki, from the Industrial Cyber Security Center of Excellence (ICSCoE) at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). Together, Messrs. Herrmann and Sasaki discussed how the U.S. and Japan are preparing future cybersecurity workforces through initiatives to recruit, retain, and reskill professionals, as well as considering alliance collaboration in cybersecurity workforce development. The vibrant discussion and insightful participant dialogue helped advance the Initiative’s ongoing effort to create an online tool that maps alliance cybersecurity policy infrastructure.

Photo (right-hand side, left to right): Mr. Matthew Willis, Mr. James Schoff, Mr. Andrew Herrmann, and Dr. Satohiro Akimoto

U.S.-Japan Research Exchange: Mr. Masayuki Masuda

In June, Mr. Masayuki Masuda, who is head of the China Team at the National Institute of Defense Studies (NIDS) at Japan’s Ministry of Defense, conducted his one-week research studies in Washington as part of Sasakawa USA’s U.S.-Japan Research Exchange. Mr. Masuda’s work analyzes the impact of China and Russia’s military alliance on U.S. security policy on the global scale, as well as the U.S.-Japan security alliance in the Indo-Pacific region. His meetings in Washington have included visits with policy experts at the Departments of Defense and State, Chinese and Russian military experts at the Marine Corps University, staffers of the House China Select Committee, former U.S. government officials, and China specialists at think tanks. Mr. Masuda’s findings will culminate in a Sasakawa USA publication that will be available on our website in the coming months.

Photo (left to right): Mr. Masayuki Masuda, Dr. Rush Doshi, and Dr. Satohiro Akimoto

Rising Indo-Pacific Security Experts (RISE):

Event with Mr. Masayuki Masuda

On June 25, Sasakawa USA convened its Rising Indo-Pacific Security Experts (RISE) for a discussion on “Great Power Competition in the Indo-Pacific: Views from the U.S.-Japan Alliance,” featuring Mr. Masayuki Masuda, head of the China Division at the National Institute for Defense Studies (NIDS) at Japan’s Ministry of Defense. Mr. Masuda addressed the current tensions of Great Power Competition—a competition between the world’s great powers in relation to the U.S. versus China and Russia—and its impact on the U.S.-Japan alliance. An engaging Q&A session followed his remarks, which Dr. Satohiro Akimoto, chairman and president of Sasakawa USA, moderated.

RISE provides opportunities for up-and-coming American national security and diplomacy experts to develop their professional knowledge and expertise on U.S.-Japan relations.

Photo: Mr. Masayuki Masuda

External Engagements

State Department's International Visitor

Leadership Program: Women, Peace and Security (WPS) within the U.S.-Japan Alliance

On June 5, Sasakawa USA Director of Programs Ms. Shanti Shoji provided a briefing on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) within the U.S.-Japan alliance to a delegation of five Japanese local and national-level leaders visiting the U.S. through the Department of State’s International Visitors’ Leadership Program. Ms. Shoji gave an introduction on the basic principles of the WPS framework, and its importance and benefit to strengthening not only the bilateral alliance, but also security in the Indo-Pacific. Ms. Shoji highlighted the unique background Japan possesses as having frequently experienced natural disasters, and that Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is one area in which Japan can exercise leadership in the integration of a gender lens and the implementation of the WPS agenda on a global stage. Ms. Shoji and the delegates engaged in a robust discussion following the briefing, touching upon the work that still needs to be done in both the U.S. and Japan to promote WPS, such as societal and cultural barriers that exist in both American and Japanese societies, and steps that can be taken to overcome these barriers. 

Photo: Ms. Shanti Shoji (center) with the International Visitors’ Leadership Program delegation

Mr. James Schoff Participates in War Games

Hosted by CSIS and MIT

US-Japan NEXT Alliance Initiative Senior Director Mr. James Schoff joined a U.S.-China war game exercise organized by Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Wargaming Lab and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on June 5. The unclassified war game was one of several iterations played by different combinations of experts designed to evaluate conflict scenarios involving China, Taiwan, the U.S., and Japan. Mr. Schoff played the role of Japan in the game, cooperating with U.S. players to deter aggression, limit escalation, protect the status quo, if possible, and prevail as a coordinated U.S.-Japan alliance when conflict erupted. The war game was based on military capabilities that the four countries involved have demonstrated or have concrete plans to field, and the results of these multiple iterations will be analyzed by MIT and CSIS specialists to help inform policy makers about future defense needs and strategy options.



Photo: Mr. James Schoff

Upcoming Activities

US-Japan NEXT Alliance Initiative: AI Study Trip to Japan

In July, US-Japan NEXT Alliance Initiative Senior Director Mr. James Schoff will lead a six-person U.S. delegation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) experts from the national research community and government to Tokyo. The purpose of this study trip is to foster networking, share information, and explore opportunities for bilateral research collaboration to strengthen AI defenses, mitigate disinformation, and confront various other challenges created by adversarial AI. The delegation will participate in meetings and events with Japanese counterparts in the government, private sector, and research institutes to discuss strategic approaches and develop joint initiatives.

Announcements

Sasakawa USA Unveils Its New Conference Venue

Sasakawa USA is thrilled to announce its new venue for holding conferences and events. Located on the fifth floor of Sasakawa USA’s office building, this state-of-the-art venue offers an elegant and flexible space, with a touch of Japanese ambiance, to accommodate gatherings of various sizes, from small workshops to meetings of 100 people.

Equipped with the latest audiovisual technology, Sasakawa USA’s new conference venue offers various meeting configurations and is co-located with six individual workspaces, as well as catering and accommodation facilities. Sasakawa USA envisions its new conference venue as an ideal place for experts and practitioners in the U.S.-Japan communities to expand our joint efforts in deepening the understanding of and strengthening U.S.-Japan relations.

Sasakawa USA is conveniently located near Farragut Square in the heart of Washington, DC, and looks forward to welcoming you to our new conference venue for upcoming events.

Photo: Sasakawa USA’s new conference venue

US-Japan NEXT Alliance Initiative:

2024 Summer Intern Mr. Matthew Willis

Sasakawa USA welcomes Mr. Matthew Willis as the US-Japan NEXT Alliance’s summer intern. Mr. Willis is a rising senior at the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in international relations, Japanese, government, and East Asian studies, hailing originally from Bristol, Tennessee. Sasakawa USA received numerous applications for this summer internship from undergraduate students across the country with a demonstrated interest in U.S.-Japan relations and East Asian studies. Mr. Willis’ strong academic performance and his focus on humanitarian and security issues in the Asia-Pacific region made him a top candidate. Reporting directly to Senior Director Mr. James Schoff, Mr. Willis supports the NEXT Alliance Initiative projects related to U.S.-Japan cybersecurity alliance mapping, the publication of the English version of former Japan Ground Self-Defense Force LTG Koichi Isobe’s book on Operation TOMODACHI, and assisting with the bimonthly Alliance Digest. In addition, Mr. Willis will spend one week in Tokyo assisting the NEXT Alliance Initiative team with its AI study trip in July. His 10-week internship is designed to both enhance the work of the NEXT Alliance Initiative and enrich Mr. Willis’ academic and professional development so that he can further contribute to the U.S.-Japan alliance in his future endeavors.

Sasakawa USA is delighted that last year’s NEXT summer intern, Ms. Hanah Bloom, was selected for a Fulbright research award and will return to Japan for the 2024-2025 academic year.

Photo: Mr. Matthew Willis

Featured Intern

Ms. Risa "Lisa" Yamashita

Hello! My name is Risa “Lisa” Yamashita and I have worked as an intern at Sasakawa USA this summer. I am in my senior year at the University of Tokyo, majoring in economics and business administration. This past academic year, I finished two exchange programs: one at the University of California, Berkeley and the other at HEC (Hautes Etudes Commerciales) Paris in France. While at the University of California, Berkeley, I studied American and Southeast Asia politics, which has shaped my interest in U.S.-East Asia relationships and, especially, the U.S.-Japan alliance.

Regarding my major, I am particularly interested in cultural economics. For example, I find it fascinating to consider pricing models for concerts and cultural products, as these areas have not been extensively analyzed from an economic perspective. My goal is to give appropriate funds to the arts while preserving their cultural significance.

During my internship at Sasakawa USA, I have gained many valuable insights. For instance, I have learned that Women, Peace and Security (WPS) plays a big role and promotes concrete actions. So, it is quite instructive to know that tangible actions have already been taken in regard to WPS. Moreover, personally speaking, these actions give me great hope for a better life. In these respects, it truly has been an honor for me to work on the Sasakawa USA Emerging Experts Delegation (SEED) program, which contributes to the concept of WPS overall.



I have learned a lot, which is due to the supportive team at Sasakawa USA. Thank you for this internship experience!

Photo: Ms. Risa "Lisa" Yamashita

Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA

1819 L Street, NW, Suite 300

Washington, DC 20036

+1.202.296.6694