Japanese Politics & Foreign Relations
JCIE programs deepen understanding of the political and foreign policy dynamics in Japan, promote a greater Japanese voice in international affairs, and build ties among leaders from various sectors—government, business, civil society, academia, and more—in Japan and around the world.
CURRENT PROGRAMS
RELATED ACTIVITIES
US-Japan Women Leaders Dialogue
March–April 2021 | Online
JCIE is holding a three-session, online US-Japan Women Leaders Dialogue to convene top women leaders from varying walks of life. Two leading legislators, Hon. Seiko Noda and Hon. Diana DeGette, are th…
2021 Japanese Young Political Leaders Virtual Exchange
March 9–31, 2021 | Online
The 2021 US-Japan Young Political Leaders Exchange Program was held virtually, allowing the 30th Japanese delegation to explore US-Japanese relations and build global relationships.
Japan 101 Course: US Japan Relations During the Biden-Suga Era | 2021 Session
March 2–26, 2021 | Online
The Spring 2021 run of JCIE’s online course for Congressional Staff, which provides them with opportunities to meet e world’s top experts on US-Japan security, trade, and political issues.
UK-Japan 21st Century Group Webinar | The Future Direction of Japan Under Prime Minister Suga
February 25, 2021 | Online
The UK-Japan 21st Century Group held its first online webinar to discuss Japan’s future under Prime Minister Suga.
Diet Women's Study Group | 7th Meeting
February 4, 2021 | Online
Yoko Takeda, Chief Economist and General Manager, Research Center for Policy and Economy, Mitsubishi Research Institute, met with the Diet Women’s Study Group to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the…
28th Korea-Japan Forum
November 13, 2020 | Online
The 28th Korea-Japan Forum, which was held via videoconference between two venues in Tokyo and Seoul due to COVID-19 travel concerns, brought together more than 40 participants to discuss domestic pol…
Japan 101 Course: Understanding US Japan Relations | 2020 Session
September 8–October 6, 2020 | Online
The first run of JCIE’s online course for Congressional Staff, which provides them with opportunities to meet e world’s top experts on US-Japan security, trade, and political issues.
UK-Japan 21st Century Group | 37th Conference
September 11–12, 2020 | Online
The 37th annual meeting of the UK-Japan 21st Century Group was held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic with the participation of 20 members from each country, who held discussions on the latest polit…
Japan-US Legislators Dialogue: The Impact of Legislative Exchanges and Opportunities to Strengthen Bilateral Relations
May 19, 2020 | Online
JCIE and a coalition of US-Japan groups co-hosted a webinar bringing together Japanese and US legislators to discuss the importance of legislative exchange.
Diet Women's Study Group | 6th Meeting
January 21, 2020 | Tokyo
Nobuo Tanaka, chairman of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation and former executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), met with the Diet Women’s Study Group to discuss Japan’s energy security…
JCIE/USA Executive Seminar | The Congressional Agenda—Implications for US-Japan Relations
December 6, 2019 | New York
On December 6, two alumni of JCIE’s Congressional Staff Exchange program participated in JCIE/USA Roundtables in New York. The two senior Congressional staff—one Republican and one Democrat—spoke abou…
28th Japanese-German Forum
December 4–6, 2019 | Tokyo, Japan
Japanese and German politicians, policy experts, business leaders, and journalists gathered in Tokyo to discuss key issues for Japan, Germany, and their bilateral relationship.
2019 US Young Political Leaders Delegation to Japan
November 16–26, 2019 | Tokyo, Kochi, Aichi
A bipartisan delegation of six state and local-level US political leaders visited Tokyo, Kochi Prefecture, and Aichi Prefecture for a series of meetings and roundtables with a variety of policymakers,…
2019 Japanese Diet Delegation to the US
September 17–20, 2019 | Washington DC
The 2019 US-Japan Parliamentary Exchange Program brought the 30th delegation of Japanese diet members and parliamentarians to the US, where they met and engaged in discussions with members of Congress…
Tadashi Yamamoto Memorial Seminar | Japan in the World: Sustaining Democracy
September 19, 2019 | Washington DC
This year’s Tadashi Yamamoto Memorial Seminar featured experts on democratic governance and human security who discussed Japan’s potential role in supporting democratic transitions in Asia. The second…
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Japan's Friendship with the US Remains Unshakable
Koji Tomita
March 11, 2021
This opinion piece was written by Ambassador Koji Tomita, who references a 2016 JCIE survey on US givings in the Great Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami disaster response.
The Biden Administration’s Chance to Get Asia Policy Right – A View from Japan
February 2021
The Biden administration faces complex challenges in maintaining peace, stability and prosperity while restoring multilateral diplomacy with East Asia. Overcoming these obstacles will require special…
US-Japan Cooperation on COVID-19 with James Gannon
January 28, 2021
Jim Gannon, Executive Director of JCIE/USA, discusses Japan’s COVID-19 response and the expanding potential of the US-Japan cooperation in this episode of the Edwin O. Reischauer Center’s “Asia in Was…
Global Health Needs US-Japan Partnership
James Gannon
December 18, 2020
Jim Gannon, Executive Director of JCIE/USA, calls for greater US-Japan partnership on pandemic response and global health in this piece for the Council on Foreign Relations’ Asia Unbound blog, pointin…
Navigating China Relations and the US-Japan Alliance
October 2020
In January 2020, the United States and Japan marked the 60th anniversary of the revised US-Japan Security Treaty. Steps to strengthen this relationship, which should not be taken for granted, include…
Survey of Japanese Legislators: Attitudes on ODA and Global Health
Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE)
June 2020
A JCIE survey of Japanese legislators finds that 80 percent of the 92 respondents favor steps to increase Japan’s official development assistance (ODA), with most prioritizing funding for health progr…
Japan May Allow Immigration of Hong Kong Financial Sector, Specialized Workers
Palash Gosh
June 12, 2020
Article on Japan potentially allowing immigration of Hong Kong financial sector workers. Features quotes from Toshihiro Menju, Managing Director and Chief Program Officer at JCIE
Five Steps to Bolster the US-Japan Alliance
March 2020
In January 2020, the United States and Japan marked the 60th anniversary of the revised US-Japan Security Treaty. Steps to strengthen this relationship, which should not be taken for granted, include…
Japan's Support for Democracy-Related Issues: Mapping Survey
Atsuko Geiger
2019
Background and examples of Japan’s work on democracy-related issues, compiled as part of JCIE’s program on Expanding Support for Democratic Governance.
Japan’s Historic Immigration Reform: A Work in Progress
Toshihiro Menju
Feb 6, 2019
Toshihiro Menju analyzes the recent, controversial new reforms and their implications for Japanese immigration policy and the future of Japanese society.
Advancing a Global Health Agenda in the SDG Era: Enhancing Japan’s Leadership Role in 2019–2020
International Advisory Group on Global Health (IAG)
November 2018
In 2019 and 2020, Japan hosts a range of critical international meetings, from the G20 Summit to the 7th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 7), and the Nutrition for Growth S…
Japan Eases Immigration Restrictions to Fill Chronic Care Worker Shortage
Sally Herships
October 18, 2018
In the past, Japan allowed mostly highly skilled professionals in the country. Now, due to severe labor shortages, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has ordered the government to look into new policies that w…
Abe’s Window of Time for Amending Japan’s Pacifist Constitution Narrows
Byron Tau
August 12, 2018
Wall Street Journal’s Byron Tau examines Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s push to amend the country’s pacifist constitution and the political realities he’s facing.
Confronting Uncertainty in East Asia
Hitoshi Tanaka, Senior Fellow, JCIE
March 2018
From a Japanese perspective, the defining characteristic of East Asia’s regional order today appears to be the high degree of uncertainty that prevails about what might come next. Geopolitical uncerta…
Common Ground and Common Obstacles: US-Japan Women Leaders Dialogue
Japan Center for International Exchange
2018
Highlights of a two-day discussion among American and Japanese women leaders on the shared political, security, and societal challenges facing their countries and on ways to advance women’s leadership…