Japan Memo

Robert Ward hosts Kristi Govella, senior advisor and Japan chair at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies and Eva Pejsova, Japan chair at the Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy of the Brussels School of Governance. They review Japan’s security and diplomacy in 2025. 

Together, they explore: 

• The US tariffs on Japan and trade negotiations between the two countries 
• Ishiba Shigeru’s legacy as prime minister 
• Takaichi Sanae’s selection as prime minister, her cabinet appointments and the collapse of the LDP-Komeito coalition 
• Changing security relations with the US and other countries 
• The policy agenda for the Takaichi administration

Recommended materials from our guests: 

• Kenneth M. McElwain (ed.), Robert J. Pekkanen (ed.), Daniel M. Smith (ed.), Japan Decides 2024 (Cham: Palgrave Macmillan), 365pp. 
• Michael J. Green, Line of Advantage: Japan’s Grand Strategy in the Era of Abe Shinzō (New York: Columbia University Press), 328pp. 
• Andrew L. Oros, Japan’s Security Renaissance: New Policies and Politics for the Twenty-First Century (New York: Columbia University Press), 320pp. 

We hope you enjoy the episode. Please follow, rate, and subscribe to Japan Memo on your preferred podcast platform. If you have any comments or questions, please contact us at [email protected]. 

Date recorded: 28th November 2025

Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.

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Robert Ward hosts Ogi Hirohito, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Geoeconomics; Ito Ayano, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of ITO Strategy Company; and Tom Corben, Research Fellow at the United States Studies Centre. They discuss the increasing cooperation between Japan and the US in the defence industry.

Together, they explore:  

·      How Takaichi and Trump might cooperate on US-Japan defence-industrial issues

·      The Takaichi government’s new policies in relation to the defence industry

·      How the defence industry in Japan and the US views recent defence-industrial policy changes

·      Defence-industrial cooperation with third countries, through initiatives such as GCAP

·      How the US views defence-industrial cooperation with Japan and the effect of the upcoming US National Security Strategy on this

Recommended materials from our guests:  

·      Alan Booth, The Roads to Sata,(London: Penguin, 2020), 336pp.

·      Tobias S Harris, The Iconoclast, (London: Hurst, 2023), 504pp.

·      Anno Hideki and Higuchi Shinji, Shin Gozilla, (Toho Co, 2016).

We hope you enjoy the episode. Please follow, rate, and subscribe to Japan Memo on your preferred podcast platform. If you have any comments or questions, please contact us at [email protected].

Date recorded: 4 November 2025

Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Ward hosts Yamashita Yukari, Managing Director at the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan (IEEJ), and Stephen Stapczynski, Asia Energy Team Leader at Bloomberg News, for an in-depth discussion on the current state and future direction of Japan’s energy security. 

Together, they explore: 

• Japan’s 7th Strategic Energy Plan and its emphasis on economic security and energy mix. 
• The balance between renewables, nuclear and fossil fuels in achieving realistic decarbonisation. 
• Japan’s pioneering role in global LNG investment and supply security — a model now studied by the European Union. 
• Japan’s initiatives in hydrogen and blue ammonia cooperation with the Middle East and ASEAN. 
• The policy and market challenges shaping Japan’s energy strategy towards 2040. 

Recommended readings from our guests:   

• Hyakuta Naoki, Kaizoku to yobareta otoko [A man called a pirate] (Tokyo: Kodansha, 2012), 386pp. 
• Michael Booth, Sushi and beyond: What the Japanese know about cooking (London: Vintage Publishing, 2010), 336pp. 

We hope you enjoy the episode. Please follow, rate, and subscribe to Japan Memo on your preferred podcast platform. If you have any comments or questions, please contact us at [email protected].  

Date recorded: 8 October 2025 

Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Ward hosts Goto Shihoko, Senior Fellow for Indo-Pacific Affairs at the Mansfield Foundation, and Eto Naoko, Professor at Gakushuin University and Senior Fellow at the Institute of Geoeconomics, for a timely discussion on Japan–US–China economic relations..

Together, they explore: 

·        US-China competition and its implications for Japan’s economic strategy

·        Japan-China dynamics in rare earths supply chains and technology competition

·        Japan’s balancing act between economic engagement with China and its alliance commitments with the US

·        The potential implications of upcoming major diplomatic events, including US diplomacy on China.

Recommended readings from our guests: 

·        Kokubun Ryosei, Japan-China Relations through the Lens of Chinese Politics (Tokyo: JPIC International, 2021), 326pp.

·        Richard Katz, The Contest for Japan's Economic Future: Entrepreneurs vs Corporate Giants (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2024), 356pp.

·        Jeffrey Ding, Technology and the Rise of Great Powers: How Diffusion Shapes Economic Competition, (Prinston: Princeton University Press, 2024), 320pp.

We hope you enjoy the episode. Please follow, rate, and subscribe to Japan Memo on your preferred podcast platform. If you have any comments or questions, please contact us at [email protected]. 

Date recorded: 5 September 2025

Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Ward hosts Dr Chijiwa Yasuaki, Chief, International Conflict Division, National Institute for Defence Studies (NIDS), Ministry of Defence, Dr Jennifer Lind, Associate Professor in the Department of Government at Dartmouth, and Dr Sayuri Romei, Senior Fellow in the German Marshall Fund, GMF, Indo-Pacific Program. They discuss the evolution of Japan's post-war defence policy in light of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

Robert, Yasuaki, Jennifer and Sayuri discuss:  

• Evolution of Japan’s defence policy — shift from post-war defensive defence doctrine to recent adoption of counter-strike capability, expanded defence budget and multi-domain defence force
• Role of external environment and alliances — China’s rise, North Korea’s threat, Russia’s actions and shifting US commitments shaping Japan’s security trajectory
• Domestic politics and public opinion — gradual change in attitudes, reduced resistance to defence reforms and evolving consensus on stronger defence posture
• US-Japan alliance deepening — institutional developments, interoperability improvements, establishment of joint command structures, people-to-people ties strengthening alliance foundations

We hope you enjoy the episode and please follow, rate, and subscribe to Japan Memo on your podcast platform of choice. If you have any comments or questions, please contact us at [email protected]. 

Date recorded: 6 August 2025 

Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.  

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Ward hosts Sakata Yasuyo, Professor of International Relations at Kanda University, Victor Cha, President of the Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department and Korea Chair at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and Jung-Hoon Lee, Dean and Professor of International Relations at the Graduate School of International Studies at Yonsei University. They discuss Japan–South Korea relations in light of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic normalisation.

Robert, Yasuyo, Victor and Jung-Hoon discuss:  

• Evolution of Relations: From diplomatic normalisation in 1965 to people-to-people and civil society engagement, especially post-1998
• Japan–South Korea–US trilateral alignment, institutional frameworks, and strategic consultation, notably the 2023 Camp David Summit
• Future Prospects and Domestic Pressures: Economic strain, shifting public sentiment towards China, and cautious optimism in bilateral cooperation

The following books are recommended by our guests to gain a clearer picture of the topics discussed: 

• Victor Cha, Alignment Despite Antagonism: The United States-Korea-Japan Security Triangle, (California: Stanford University Press, 1990), 376pp.
• Victor Cha, Powerplay: The Origins of the American Alliance System in Asia, (New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2016), 352pp.
• Victor Cha and Ramon Pacheco Pardo, Korea: A New History of South and North, (Connecticut: Yale University Press, 2024), 320pp.
• Chong-Sik Lee, Japan and Korea: The Political Dimension, (California: Hoover Institution Press, 1985), 234pp.
• Brad Glosserman and Scott A. Snyder, The Japan–South Korea Identity Clash: East Asian Security and the United States, (New York: Columbia University Press, 2015), 240pp. 

We hope you enjoy the episode and please follow, rate, and subscribe to Japan Memo on your podcast platform of choice. If you have any comments or questions, please contact us at [email protected]. 

Date recorded: 30 June 2025  

Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.  

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special edition of Japan Memo Season 5, Robert Ward reports from Singapore on the 22nd IISS Shangri-La Dialogue.

Joining him is Professor Jimbo Ken, Managing Director of the International House of Japan, President of the Asia Pacific Initiative, and Professor at Keio University’s Faculty of Policy Management. They deliver timely and in-depth analysis of this year’s key developments and strategic narratives.

Robert and Professor Jimbo discuss: 

·        Major themes and takeaways from the 2025 Dialogue and how it compares with previous years

·        Key messages from US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s speech

·        Regional perspectives on China’s activities and strategic posture

·        Analysis of Japanese Defense Minister Nakatani Gen’s address

·        ASEAN’s evolving role in an increasingly contested regional order

We hope you enjoy the episode and please follow, rate, and subscribe to Japan Memo on your podcast platform of choice. If you have any comments or questions, please contact us at [email protected].

Date recorded: 1 June 2025 

This episode of Japan Memo was recorded in Singapore and produced at the IISS in London. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Ward hosts Professor Hosoya Yuichi, Professor of International Politics at Keio University, Professor Yee Kuang Heng, Professor at the Graduate School of Public Policy and Director of the Security Studies Unit at the Institute for Future Initiatives at the University of Tokyo, and Fenella McGerty, the IISS Senior Fellow for defence economics in the Defence and Military Analysis Programme. They discuss Japan-UK relations.  

Robert, Yuichi, Yee Kuang and Fenella discuss:  

• Japan-UK diplomatic alignment, amid the UK’s tilt towards the Indo-Pacific
• Japan-UK defence partnership, including the GCAP, the UK CSG deployment to the Indo-Pacific
• Japan-UK economic cooperation, including the bilateral economic 2+2, the UK accession to the CPTTP

We hope you enjoy the episode and please follow, rate, and subscribe to Japan Memo on your podcast platform of choice. If you have any comments or questions, please contact us at [email protected]. 

Date recorded: 6 May 2025  

Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.  

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Ward hosts Professor Takahara Akio, Emeritus Professor of The University of Tokyo, Dr Elizabeth Wishnick, Senior Research Scientist at the Centre for Naval Analyses (CNA) and Dr Catherine Jones, a Lecturer at the University of St Andrews, to explore Japan’s challenges amid growing cooperation between Russia and China. 

 Robert, Akio, Elizabeth and Catherine discuss:   

• The recent development of the Russia-China strategic partnership in the Ukraine war 
• The limitations of the Sino-Russian relationship and the potential overlap of their interests  
• Japan’s security, economy and energy challenges amid growing Sino-Russian aligment 

The following books are recommended by our guests to gain a clearer picture of the topics discussed:   

• Takahara Akio and et al., Japan–China Relations in the Modern Era, (Abingdon: Routledge, 2017), 250pp. 
• Takahara Akio and et al., Nicchū kankei 2001-2022 [Japan-China Relations 2001-2022], (Tokyo: The University of Tokyo Press, 2023), 432pp.  
• Charles E. Ziegler, Russia in the Pacific: The Quest for Great Power Recognition, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2024), 296pp.  
• Gaye Christoffersen, Russia in the Indo-Pacific: New Approaches to Russian Foreign Policy, (Abingdon: Routledge, 2022), 298pp. 
• Endo Shusaku, Chinmoku [Silence], (Tokyo: Shinchosha, 1981), 320pp. 
• Endo Shusaku, The Samurai, (Tokyo: Shinchosha, 1986), 520pp. 

We hope you enjoy the episode and please follow, rate, and subscribe to Japan Memo on your podcast platform of choice. If you have any comments or questions, please contact us at [email protected].  

Date recorded: 17 February 2025   

Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.   

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.