Episode 1: Rearming Under the Shadow of History

Hitoshi Tanaka, chairman of the Institute for International Strategy at the Japan Research Institute, describes how Japan has been navigating these challenges, and the critical role of the U.S.-Japan alliance.

Play Button Pause Button
0:00 0:00
x
Episode Guests
  • Sheila A. Smith
    John E. Merow Senior Fellow for Asia-Pacific Studies
  • Hitoshi Tanaka

Show Notes

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has led a bold push for defense reforms to keep up with growing regional threats. But questions of historical memory remain, complicating Japan’s relationships with its neighbors. Hitoshi Tanaka, chairman of the Institute for International Strategy at the Japan Research Institute, describes how Japan has been navigating these challenges, and the critical role of the U.S.-Japan alliance.

 

This podcast series is part of a project on Northeast Asian Nationalisms and the U.S.-Japan Alliance, which is made possible through support from the U.S.-Japan Foundation.

Japan

The United States has become more inward-focused and nationalistic, but as Toshihiro Nakayama argues, Japan does not have a back-up plan to its alliance with the United States.

United States

Toshihiro Nakayama evaluates today’s politics in the United States and argues that the fundamental shift that has taken place under President Donald Trump is not likely to end with his presidency.

China

Jessica Chen Weiss discusses the nature of activism in China and how the Chinese government is responding to these new challenges.

Top Stories on CFR

Syria

The United States appears intent on keeping its counterterrorism alliance with the Kurds in post-Assad Syria despite the strains it is causing with ally Turkey.

Climate Change

The wildfires scorching the region around Los Angeles are likely to be the most expensive in history. But, future climate change-related disasters will certainly top them in cost. Here are some steps to limit the damage.

Public Health Threats and Pandemics

A recent surge in avian flu outbreaks in birds and some mammals, including humans, is worrying farmers, scientists, and public health experts. The threat of the virus becoming a pandemic is said to be low, but its evolution continues to raise alarms and pointed questions about preparedness.