Commentary / Japan | Commentary Jun 23, 2020

How the U.S. and its allies should prepare for the post-COVID-19 world

With many nations looking to the United States for leadership, the country risks being hemmed in by its economic ties with China.

National / Politics | Commentary Apr 14, 2020

Japan and U.S. must lead preparations for next pandemic

The global crisis over the COVID-19 pandemic calls for a global solution, but so far the international community has not shown a strong desire to get on the same page. Instead of formulating a coordinated front in the fight against the coronavirus, world leaders are ...

National / Politics | Commentary Jan 19, 2020

The Japan-U.S. alliance is stronger than ever, but that doesn't mean it's on autopilot

When the Japan-U.S. security treaty was revised 60 years ago, nobody expected that it would become one of the most remarkable security alliances in history. The treaty, which is the centerpiece of the two nations' alliance, has continuously provided a strong security architecture to protect ...

National / Politics | Commentary Dec 24, 2019

The great power game in the Pacific: What Japan can do

The Pacific island states have never been at the center of geopolitical discussion. The names of the 14 Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) — nations such as Fiji, Kiribati, Palau and Samoa — may evoke a romanticized image of a remote paradise in ...

National / Politics | Commentary Sep 12, 2019

This time it's for real: U.S. must help Tokyo and Seoul end crisis

For years, tension between Japan and South Korea has waxed and waned in a cyclical pattern. In the recent past, friction and animosity has repeatedly emerged as a result of the politicization of historical issues. Tension would subside only after the political winds changed to ...

Asia Pacific / Politics | Commentary Aug 29, 2019

U.S. leader's chaotic diplomacy offers chance with Kim

Two months after the dramatic Trump-Kim meeting at the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea, the world's most heavily fortified border is back to its perpetual state of tension, as if nothing happened. When U.S. President Donald Trump set foot into North Korea and ...

National / Politics | Commentary May 24, 2019

As a rare ally on good terms with Trump, Japan has the chance to raise its global standing

Japan has established itself as the single most important ally for the U.S. in the region — and arguably in the world.

Commentary / World Oct 24, 2018

A U.S.-China great power competition?

Asian nations are anxious about Trump's aggressive approach toward China.

Commentary / Japan Jul 24, 2018

How Japan can save the Indo-Pacific strategy

The Free and Open Indo-Pacific strategy presents Japan an opportunity to play a leadership role in the region.