Included in this issue of the newsletter:

September Activities

• Policy Briefing: Discussion with Mr. Kiyoyuki Seguchi
• US-Japan NEXT Alliance Initiative: NEXT Sr. Director Schoff Conducts AI Security Research Trip in Japan for “Allied on AI Assurance” Project
• Visit by RIPS International Security Studies Program Fellows and Leadership
• Visit by Prof. Jitsu and Kwansei Gakuin Students

Publications

• Commentary & Analysis: Mr. Robert Tomkin

Upcoming Events

• Japan US Military Program (JUMP): JUMP San Diego
• U.S.-Japan Research Exchange: Amb. Derek Mitchell and Ms. Min Mitchell
• U.S.-Japan Research Exchange: Ms. Kathryn Paik

Announcements

• Ms. Kara Bue Joins Sasakawa USA as Distinguished Senior Fellow (non-resident)

September Activities

Policy Briefing: Discussion with Mr. Kiyoyuki Seguchi

On September 10, Sasakawa USA held a Policy Briefing Series event about "Key Issues in the Chinese Economy and U.S.-China-Japan Economic Relations" featuring Mr. Kiyoyuki Seguchi, Research Director, Canon Institute for Global Studies. Mr. Seguchi discussed the state of China's international economic relations as well as the causes and consequences of the end of China's high growth era, drawing on his experiences working in China over the course of many years. His remarks were followed by a wide-ranging discussion with attendees that further explored such subjects as diplomatic relations with China under Japan’s new Prime Minister, the state of foreign direct investment in China, and tariff negotiations between Washington and Beijing.

Photo: Mr. Kiyoyuki Seguchi

US-Japan NEXT Alliance Initiative:

NEXT Senior Director Jim Schoff Research Trip to Japan for "Allied on AI Assurance" Project

Sasakawa USA Sr. Director Jim Schoff visited Japan in early September to prepare for this year’s centerpiece project for the US-Japan NEXT Alliance Initiative, a “Study Trip” in December bringing U.S. AI security experts to Tokyo to meet with Japanese counterparts at public and private research institutes, government, and the private sector. Schoff met with Japanese officials from the Cabinet Office and various ministries, the Japan AI Safety Institute, the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, the Center for AI Research at the University of Tsukuba, U.S. Embassy representatives, and companies such as Microsoft Japan. This AI Study Trip builds upon a similar excursion in 2025 as part of a NEXT project titled “Allied on AI Assurance: Technology to Enhance AI Security & Safety.” The project’s aim is to foster networking, share information, and explore opportunities for bilateral research collaboration to strengthen AI defenses, mitigate disinformation, and confront various other challenges created by so-called adversarial AI.

Photo (left to right): Dr. Tetsuya Sakurai, executive research director at Center for Artificial Intelligence Research (C-AIR) and co-principal investigator for the Cross-Pacific AI Initiative (X-PAI); and Mr. Jim Schoff at University of Tsukuba

Visit by RIPS International Security Studies Program Fellows and Leadership

On September 4, 2025, Sasakawa USA welcomed 13 visiting fellows from the Research Institute for Peace and Security (RIPS). This meeting was part of the RIPS fellowship’s bi-annual study trip to Washington, DC, during which fellows had the opportunity to engage with U.S. foreign policy and security experts, to learn more about important geopolitical issues, most notably on the U.S.-Japan Alliance and security in the Indo-Pacific.

The RIPS fellows were led by directors, Prof. Matake Kamiya, Professor, National Defence Academy of Japan and President, Japan Association for International Security; Prof. Yuichi Hosoya, Professor of International Politics, Faculty of Law, Keio University; and Prof. Ayako Kusunoki, Professor of International Research Center for Japanese Studies (Nichibunken). Sasakawa USA President and Chairman, Dr. Satohiro Akimoto, along with the Director of NEXT Initiative, Mr. James Schoff, also participated in the meeting.

Photo: Group picture with RIPS International Security Studies Program Fellows and Leadership

Visit by Professor Jitsu and Kwansei Gakuin Students

On Tuesday, September 9, Sasakawa USA hosted a delegation of students from Kwansei Gakuin University in Hyogo, Japan led by Prof. Tetsuya Jitsu, Professor, School of Policy Studies, as part of their study trip to Washington, DC. The group met with Dr. Satohiro Akimoto, Chairman & President at Sasakawa USA, to discuss current economic and political developments in the United States as well as the trajectory of U.S.-Japan relations. In turn, Dr. Akimoto also asked the students for their perspectives on a variety of topics, including life in Japan and global affairs. The participants enjoyed a robust discussion as part of their Washington visit.

Photo (left to right): Prof. Tetsuya Jitsu and Dr. Satohiro Akimoto with students

Publications

Commentary and Analysis: Mr. Robert Tomkin

Mr. Robert Tomkin, writer and editor with the Congressional Quarterly, has authored a new paper, “Europe and Japan, a New National Security Calculus?” as part of his participation in a week-long Sasakawa USA U.S.-Japan Research Exchange trip to Japan in April of 2025. While in Tokyo he engaged with Japanese media, university professors and researchers, as well as policymakers and government officials working to strengthen strategic partnerships between Japan and Europe. In addition to traditional military ties, Mr. Tomkin examined European economic security initiatives in the Indo-Pacific. This includes Japan-Europe collaboration on technology development and production, as well as enhanced cooperation in AI, cybersecurity, and countering ‘weaponized’ social media. Other areas of examination included attempts to counter economic coercion, export controls, or other protectionist measures. Mr. Tomkin also looked into the possibility of Japan participating in defense related agreements like AUKUS, enhanced intelligence sharing, and changes in nuclear deterrence policies.

Photo: Mr. Robert Tomkin

Upcoming Events

Japan US Military Program (JUMP): JUMP San Diego

On Wednesday, October 15, Sasakawa USA will hold a Japan US Military Program (JUMP) event at Naval Base San Diego in California in partnership with the Embassy of Japan. The JUMP event will focus on the theme of “Strengthening the U.S.-Japan Alliance Through People-To-People Exchange” and feature a lineup of speakers boasting extensive experience in the U.S.-Japan relationship. The event will also bring together an audience of both U.S. Navy personnel as well as participants from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). Keynote remarks will be provided by ADM Akira Saito, 36^th Chief of Staff, JMSDF and VADM Brendan McLane, Commander, Naval Surface Forces Commander, Naval Surface Force, Pacific Fleet. This event will also feature remarks from ADM Ryo Sakai, 35^th Chief of Staff, JMSDF; RADM Takaaki Hayamizu, Defense and Naval Attaché, Embassy of Japan; and Mr. Kosei Murota, Consul General of Japan in Los Angeles.

JUMP is a partnership between Sasakawa USA and the Embassy of Japan, which honors U.S. military personnel and veterans for their contributions to the U.S.-Japan security alliance and engages them in high-level dialogue with U.S.-Japan alliance leaders. This JUMP material is distributed by Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA on behalf of the Embassy of Japan and additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC.

Photo: An aerial photo of Naval Base San Diego in San Diego, CA (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Sara Eshleman)

U.S.-Japan Research Exchange:

Ambassador Derek Mitchell and Ms. Min Mitchell

From October 27 to 31, Amb. Derek Mitchell, senior advisor (non-resident), Office of the President, at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and Ms. Mitchell, independent media consultant, will travel to Japan through Sasakawa USA’s U.S.-Japan Research Exchange Program. During their trip to Japan, Amb. Mitchell and Ms. Mitchell will research the scope, nature, and evolution of Foreign Information Manipulation Interference (FIMI) threats targeting Japan. Their research will also include a review of how government and non-governmental institutions in Japan view and respond to such threats and consideration of how the United States and Japan, in collaboration with like-minded countries, may strengthen national and regional resilience to malign foreign information operations. Following the completion of the trip, Amb. Mitchell and Ms. Mitchell will produce a paper outlining tangible policy proposals on combating FIMI threats in the Indo-Pacific.

Photo (left to right): Amb. Derek Mitchell and Ms. Min Mitchell

U.S.-Japan Research Exchange: Ms. Kathryn Paik

This November, Ms. Kathryn Paik, Deputy Director & Senior Fellow, Australia Chair, at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, will travel to Japan through Sasakawa USA’s U.S.-Japan Research Exchange program. During her trip, Ms. Paik will research how Japan, the United States, and other regional partners can work together to effectively engage with the Pacific Islands region, which are important to both nation’s national security interests. Ms. Paik will meet with experts from relevant government agencies and other organizations in Tokyo, and exchange ideas on opportunities for both bi-lateral and regional cooperation. Following this research trip, Ms. Paik will produce a paper outlining tangible policy recommendations on U.S.-Japan coordination in engaging with the Pacific Islands.

Photo: Ms. Kathryn Paik

Announcements

Ms. Kara Bue Joins Sasakawa USA

as Distinguished Senior Fellow (non-resident)

Sasakawa USA is pleased to announce that Ms. Kara Bue has joined our team as a distinguished senior fellow (non-resident).

Kara L. Bue is a founding partner of Armitage International, L.C., a global business advisory firm established in 2005. Previously, Ms. Bue served as deputy assistant secretary for political-military affairs at the U.S. Department of State. In that capacity, she managed programs involving government-to-government arms sales, foreign military assistance, and humanitarian mine-action. From 2001 to 2003, she served as special assistant for South Asia to then-deputy secretary of state Richard L. Armitage. Before joining the Department of State, Ms. Bue practiced corporate law in Washington, DC and Los Angeles, California. Earlier in her career, she held positions in the Department of the Army, Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation during the George H.W. Bush and Clinton administrations. Through the Center for Civil-Military Relations at the Naval Postgraduate School, Ms. Bue has taught courses on civil-military relations to foreign civilian and military participants, and managed defense reform programs in Peru and Cambodia.

Ms. Bue currently serves on the board of directors of several privately held government service providers. She is also past Chair of the Mines Advisory Group (MAG)—America, a non-governmental organization devoted to the demining of war-torn countries, and a past member of the Dean’s Advisory Board of George Mason University’s Honors College.

As part of her new role as distinguished senior fellow (non-resident), Sasakawa USA looks forward to collaborating with Ms. Bue on a book project to honor the legacy of Hon. Armitage and share his enduring lessons in promoting international peace and diplomacy with future generations.

Photo: Ms. Kara Bue

Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA

1819 L Street, NW, Suite 300

Washington, DC 20036

+1.202.296.6694