Tadashi Yamamoto Memorial Seminar | Japan in the World: Sustaining Democracy

September 19, 2019
Washington DC

This year’s Tadashi Yamamoto Memorial Seminar was hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations while JCIE’s 2019 Diet delegation was visiting Washington DC. The first panel at the event featured a mix of American and Japanese experts on democratic governance and human security who discussed Japan’s potential role in supporting democratic transitions in Asia. This conversation tied in with the theme of the delegation’s visit, which was focused on exploring avenues for greater cooperation between Japan and the US on democracy assistance. Panelists considered the work Japan is already doing in the field and what the next steps might be to improve collaboration between the two countries.

The second panel featured four Japanese Diet members representing both Japan’s ruling coalition and opposition parties for a frank discussion on the state of Japanese politics and how the political situation in Japan might evolve in the coming years.

AGENDA

Opening Remarks

SHEILA SMITH, Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations (Presider & Panel Moderator)

Panel 1: Japan’s Role in Democracy Promotion

YUKIO TAKASU, Special Advisor on Human Security to the UN Secretary General; former UN Under-Secretary General for Management; former Japanese Ambassador to the United Nations
MAIKO ICHIHARA, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Law and the School of International and Public Policy, Hitotsubashi University
DEREK MITCHELL, President, National Democratic Institute

Panel 2: The State of Japanese Politics

TSUYOSHI YAMAGUCHI, Member House of Representatives
KEISUKE TSUMURA, Member, House of Representatives
SHU SAKURAI, Member, House of Representatives
HIROMI TAKASE, Member, House of Councillors

This event was made possible thanks to the Council on Foreign Relations and donors to the Tadashi Yamamoto Memorial Fund.