This joint research project, launched in December 2020, aims at analyzing the factors behind the major shift in Japan’s international environment epitomized by events such as the Brexit, the Trump presidency, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It also seeks to investigate how Japan has been responding to these changes, and how Japan should respond in the future.
Focusing on security issues understood broadly, participants will examine various aspects of Japan’s foreign/ security policy. Bringing together practitioners as well as academics, this joint project will take a multi-faceted look at Japan’s international agendas and responses.

As of April 2022, the following researchers are participating in this project.

• Yasuhiro UEKI

  (SIIR Vice-Director, Project leader, Professor, Graduate Program in International Cooperation Studies, Sophia University)

[other participants are listed alphabetically]

• Tadashi ANNO

  (SIIR Director, Professor, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Sophia University)

• Nobuhiro HIWATARI

  (SIIR Visiting Fellow, Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo)

• Yumi HIWATARI

  (SIIR Visiting Fellow, Professor Emeritus, Sophia University)

• Masataka NAKAUCHI

  (SIIR Member, Professor, Faculty of Global Studies, Sophia University)

• Kuniko OZAKI

  (SIIR Visiting Researcher, Former Judge, International Criminal Court)

• Kosuke SAITO

  (SIIR Member, Associate Professor, Faculty of Global Studies,Sophia University)

• Hideshi TOKUCHI

  (SIIR Visiting Fellow, President, Research Institute for Peace and Security, Former Vice-Minister of Defense for International Affairs)

• Masayasu TSUZUKI

  (SIIR Visiting Fellow)

The research project has so far conducted the research workshops as follows

• December 7, 2020

  Prof. Nobukatsu KANEHARA (Former Assistant Chief Cabinet Secretary), “A Retrospective on Japanese Foreign Policy under Prime Minister Abe”

• January 18, 2021

  Prof. Takako UEDA (Former Deputy Ambassador of Japan to the European Union), “Japan and the EU in the International Society: From Economic Friction to Multi-Faceted Dialogue and Cooperation”

• March 2, 2021

  Prof. Yoko HIROSE (Professor, Keio University), “The Situation in the South Caucasus Region and Japan’s Foreign Policy”

• June 3, 2021

  Amb. Shigeki SUMI (Former Japanese Ambassador to Ukraine), “The Orthodox Church and Ukraine-Russia-G7 Relations”

• July 8, 2021

  Prof. Kazuo TAKAHASHI (Professor Emeritus, Open University of Japan), “The Biden Administration and the Middle East: US-Iran Relations”

• January 27, 2022

  Prof. Aya Takagi (Assistant Professor, Kansei Gakuin University), “The Dilemma of Security and Prosperity: The Political Economy of Dual-Use Technology as Seen Through US-China Relations”

We are planning to publicize the result of this joint project through an edited volume to be published in 2023, as well as through journal articles, SIIR working papers, and / or conference presentations.