Japan

Japan
commentary
With Little Fanfare, Japan Just Changed the Way It Uses Its Military
Jeffrey W. Hornung
May 3, 2019
Foreign Policy
In early April, Japan deployed its Self-Defense Forces (SDF) abroad to join a multinational force not connected to the United Nations. This is the first time that SDF personnel will participate in overseas peacekeeping operations not under UN control. The difference may not seem important, but it is.
Read More »

Security Cooperation
commentary
How the U.S. Is Thinking About the Quad
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
Feb 7, 2019
Australian Strategic Policy Institute
The United States has been consistent in discussing the security objectives it seeks to promote through the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. But U.S. interactions with other Quad partners have likely convinced Washington to repackage public presentation of the dialogue proceedings and manage its expectations of what the Quad can realistically achieve.
Read More »
International Diplomacy
commentary
Sino-Japan Rapprochement Will Likely Fail
Jeffrey W. Hornung
Dec 7, 2018
Debating Japan (CSIS)
Recent meetings and otherwise relative calm between China and Japan may give the impression that their ties are improving. But because of their strategic competition and fundamental differences, it is more likely than not that their current rapprochement will fail.
Read More »
Japan
commentary
Is Japan's New Defense Plan Ambitious Enough?
Michael J Green, Jeffrey W. Hornung
Dec 6, 2018
War on the Rocks
Under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan has significantly increased capabilities to meet increasing regional security challenges. But Tokyo may need to do more to manage the complex security environment surrounding Japan.
Read More »
International Diplomacy
commentary
Japan's Chance to Shine?
Jeffrey W. Hornung
Oct 30, 2018
Foreign Policy
Japan may never be a global leader in a way comparable to the United States. But Tokyo does have the power to provide critical leadership that will sustain key elements of the crumbling international order.
Read More »
Law of the Sea
commentary
The Quad Needs Broadening to Balance China—And Now's the Time to Do It
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
Oct 22, 2018
Foreign Policy
Even in its resurrected form, the Quad could be in danger of failing to achieve its mission. The Quad might consider getting its house in order by extending dialogue partnerships to ASEAN maritime counterclaimant states.
Read More »
Japan
commentary
Japan's Invisible Hand
Jeffrey W. Hornung
Oct 10, 2018
The Japan Times
Shinzo Abe has cemented his position as Japan's prime minister for the next three years. Now he is expected to make a concerted push for revising the Constitution, which has not been amended since 1947. But the Japanese public is not convinced of the need to revise the Constitution, making his efforts likely to fail.
Read More »
Aircraft Carriers
commentary
Does Japan Need an Aircraft Carrier?
Jeffrey W. Hornung
Oct 5, 2018
Defense One
Japan has not possessed an aircraft carrier in more than 70 years. But that may soon change as the Japanese government is debating retrofitting a class of destroyers to turn them into aircraft carriers. Considering both operational needs and resources limitations, does an aircraft carrier for Japan make sense?
Read More »
International Economic Relations
commentary
The Implications of U.S.-China Trade Tensions for Japan
Ali Wyne @Ali_Wyne
Sep 18, 2018
Kyodo News
Washington and Beijing seem prepared to begin decoupling from one another economically, which puts Tokyo in a difficult position. Japan may have to devise new strategies not only for sustaining its growth, but also for insulating itself from the impact of deteriorating relations between the United States and China.
Read More »
Missile Defense
commentary
Japan's Aegis Ashore Defense System
Jeffrey W. Hornung
Aug 20, 2018
Yomiuri Shimbun
For nearly 20 years, Japan has used the North Korea threat as a legitimate rationale to build its missile defense system and cooperate closely with the U.S. in its development. This argument remains as true today as it was before the flurry of regional diplomacy began earlier this year.
Read More »
Security Cooperation
commentary
Is India the Weakest Link in the Quad?
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
Jul 23, 2018
Foreign Policy
India's sustained membership in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue would fit with the goal of balancing against China to deter it from further militarizing the Indo-Pacific. But New Dehli may be getting cold feet.
Read More »
Japan
commentary
Success with North Korea Still Needs Japan
Jeffrey W. Hornung
Jun 27, 2018
The Japan Times
Japan has stakes in the outcome of regional diplomacy involving North Korea. It could play a role far beyond simply writing checks for an agreement, but has not held any bilateral meetings with the other actors. Diplomats hoping to fit their approach to the realities of the geopolitical situation could benefit from Japan's active involvement.
Read More »
Security Cooperation
commentary
The Quad: Second Verse, Same as the First?
Ali Wyne @Ali_Wyne
Jun 15, 2018
The Diplomat
Members of “the Quad”—an informal collaborative arrangement among the United States, Japan, India, and Australia—have proven incapable of adopting either a shared understanding of or unified policies toward China.
Read More »
International Diplomacy
commentary
Why the U.S.-Japan Summit Matters
Jeffrey W. Hornung
Apr 17, 2018
CNN
After a year and half of relative stability, the The United States and Japan now must talk about difficult issues in which they have vested interests. As allies, and close friends, they could both benefit from reconfirming common goals and establishing a set of strategies to deal with challenges.
Read More »
Nuclear Deterrence
commentary
What Does Japan Think of the Iran Nuclear Deal?
Scott W. Harold @ScottWHarold
Mar 26, 2018
The Diplomat
What is Tokyo's view of the Iran nuclear deal and how has Tokyo responded to the U.S. threat to withdraw from it? What role is Japan, the world's third-largest economy, a major U.S. ally, and the only country ever to be attacked with nuclear weapons, likely to play in attempting to preserve, improve, or scrap the deal?
Read More »
Politics and Government
commentary
Revising Japan's Peace Constitution: Much Ado About Nothing
Jeffrey W. Hornung
Mar 21, 2018
War on the Rocks
Despite Abe’s legislative majority, it is unclear whether he has enough political capital to convince the public of the need for a constitutional revision on the Self-Defense Force. Japan’s security policies are heavily constrained by legal and normative constraints and Abe’s plan would likely do little more than codify the status quo.
Read More »

Page 1 of 4

Fostering Skills and Creating New Pipelines for Military Service

Principals Are More Optimistic Than Teachers About School Improvement Plans

The U.S. and Iran: Beyond the Rhetoric

Vietnam Is the Chinese Military's Preferred Warm-Up Fight

Anticipating Policy Options for Addressing U.S. Arctic Hurdles

The Policy Currents Podcast

Measuring Wellbeing to Help Communities Thrive

Impact Dashboard Helps Local Regulatory Services Deliver Value

Improving Access to Early Childhood Education

Addressing the Invisible Wounds of War

Japan

With Little Fanfare, Japan Just Changed the Way It Uses Its Military

How the U.S. Is Thinking About the Quad

Sino-Japan Rapprochement Will Likely Fail

Is Japan's New Defense Plan Ambitious Enough?

Japan's Chance to Shine?

The Quad Needs Broadening to Balance China—And Now's the Time to Do It

Japan's Invisible Hand

Does Japan Need an Aircraft Carrier?

The Implications of U.S.-China Trade Tensions for Japan

Japan's Aegis Ashore Defense System

Is India the Weakest Link in the Quad?

Success with North Korea Still Needs Japan

The Quad: Second Verse, Same as the First?

Why the U.S.-Japan Summit Matters

What Does Japan Think of the Iran Nuclear Deal?

Revising Japan's Peace Constitution: Much Ado About Nothing

Contact Us

Follow