August 17, 2016 - In This Issue:
Spotlight on Sasakawa USA's Research Program

Sasakawa USA's Research Program identifies issues of importance to the United States and Japan that deserve greater attention, coordination, and cooperation. Research is focused on three areas:
     
Security and Foreign Affairs: This program includes research, publications, and events that analyze a range of issues relevant to the U.S.-Japan alliance, while also considering Japan's relationships with other countries. Current initiatives include an in-depth analysis of Japan-Russia relations, the Maritime Awareness Project, the U.S.-Japan Commission on the Future of the Alliance, and our Annual Security Forum. Click here for more. 
 
Economics, Trade, and Business: The American and Japanese economies are more closely linked than ever before, and Sasakawa USA's programs in this area address the need for continued cooperation. Current projects address securing rare metals and other critical materials used in advanced technologies, promoting cooperation in supply chains, a high-level working group on common economic challenges, and our unique poll aggregation project, Japan Political Pulse. Click here for more.

Common Challenges: As allies and partners with shared interests and values, the United States and Japan face a number of common challenges calling for greater bilateral cooperation. Current projects seek to improve cooperation in areas including cybersecurity, democracy support, energy security, and in assisting Myanmar's development. Additional initiatives include the Japan-US Military Program (JUMP), which brings together those who have served in Japan, and a project that seeks to draw lessons from the 3-11 disaster and the joint response to it. Click here for more.

 
Emperor Akihito's wish to transfer the crown and the need for a national discussion  

Emperor Akihito has broken with many traditions related to the Imperial Family, but he has devoted himself to fulfilling his duties, writes Sasakawa USA Fellow Hiroko Maeda in the Sasakawa USA blog. Most people understand his desire to abdicate, she writes, but new legislation will be necessary.

 Click here to read the analysis or here to read a transcript of the Emperor's full remarks.  
   

Japan Political Pulse: Post-reshuffle polls show public generally supports new cabinet, but with reservations

Three polls conducted after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reshuffled his cabinet and the Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) leadership team on August 3 show that while the cabinet did not receive a bump in support after the reshuffle, the public generally approves of Abe's decisions, writes Sasakawa USA's Tobias Harris in his latest analysis on Japan Political Pulse.

Click here to read more.  

In the News: Adm. Blair discusses dangers of cybercrime on NHK program
 
Enacting security measures against cyberattacks is increasingly important for everyone, from individuals and businesses to nations as a whole, Sasakawa USA Chairman and CEO Adm. Dennis Blair said in an interview with NHK's International News Report (国際報道).
From Nippon.com: Koike Yuriko named Tokyo's first female governor

On July 31, 2016, former Minister of Defense Koike Yuriko was elected as the new governor of Tokyo. She becomes the first female governor of Tokyo and the ninth person to hold the position in the postwar era. In winning the gubernatorial contest, she also will be the international face of the Japanese capital in the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
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Last call for applications: Seeking an Education Program Officer and fall interns

The deadline is approaching for several job openings. Sasakawa USA currently is seeking a full-time Program Officer to lead all programmatic aspects of its Education Programs, and also is accepting applications for paid internships for Fall 2016. Click below to view the full job descriptions, deadlines, and details on how to apply.


Upcoming: Joint JUMP event in Seattle with JGSDF
 

In coordination with the Japan-America Society of the State of Washington and the Nisei Veterans Committee, Sasakawa USA's Japan-US Military Program (JUMP) is pleased to announce plans for an upcoming event in Seattle, Washington on September 17.

Members of the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and Japan Ground Self-Defense Forces will come together for the event to honor the Nisei Veterans ----- second-generation Japanese-Americans who served in the segregated 100th Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT) and the Military Intelligence Service (MIS), during World War II.
 

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