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    Enabling Professional Growth & Fostering Grassroots Connections

    with World-Class Expertise

    YOKOSUKA COUNCIL ON ASIA-PACIFIC STUDIES

  • About

    We are a non-profit organization building connections and developing people in and around Japan's Base Hosting Communities

    Our Charter

    • The Yokosuka Council on Asia-Pacific Studies (YCAPS) promotes the study of strategic, diplomatic, and legal issues affecting the Asia-Pacific Region.
    • YCAPS builds networks between individuals, promotes dialogue, provides world-class educational opportunities, and enables professional mentorship.
    • All discussions are held in personal capacity of the participants and, unless specifically noted otherwise, all activities are off-the-record in nature. Comments made by members are non-attributable and made in the spirit of education and conceptual exchange. No comments or discussions presented during YCAPS meetings reflect any official government policy.
    • Legally, YCAPS consists of two organizations. The Yokosuka Council on Asia-Pacific Studies, a US 501 (c)3 non-profit operates in Japan under the authority of Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka. Ippan Shadan Hojin Yokosuka Council on Asia-Pacific Studies (一般社団法人 横須賀カウンシル・アジア太平洋研究所) is registered with the Japanese government (Registration Number: 0110-05-0008862).
  • Join Us

    YCAPS wants you!

    A man in a suit lectures to a seminar room full of people. The projector shows a slide of a map of East and Southeast Asia

    We are a rapidly growing group taking aim at big

    issues impacting the Asia-Pacific Region

    If you'd like to join an event just RSVP and turn up. You can also sign up to our mailing list. If you aren't sure and want more information, then drop us an email. We bring together a diverse group of individuals with different backgrounds and experiences to help us explore common challenges. Our members include students, young professionals, leaders at the top of their careers and retired experts. Our programs are designed to help everyone develop while building bridges between Yokosuka's thought communities. If you are already active in YCAPS and you want to expand your roles as a volunteer please visit this page to view our latest volunteer opportunities and direction regarding applications .

  • Upcoming Events

    YCAPS Events Connect Audience Members with Each Other and World-Class Experts

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    Europe-Asia Webinar Series (via Zoom)

    Thursday, April 11, 2024 – 19:00 (Japan)

    Recent Iran-Pakistan tensions have been quite disturbing to regional stability in the Middle East. They may prompt realignments in regional alliances as nations assess their affiliations and partnerships. An escalation of tensions in the Middle East has direct implications for the security landscape in Eurasia, especially as the Israel-Palestine conflict and war in Ukraine continue to test diplomatic ties and trade routes.


     For more information, please see the event page.

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    Getting to Know Japan Webinar Series (via Zoom)

    Thursday, April 18, 2024 – 19:00 (Japan)

    The history of Japanese aviation offers countless tales of heroic achievements and dismal failures; of boundless enthusiasm and sheer terror; of brilliant ideas and fatally flawed strategies. Jürgen Melzer will tell some of them to draw an outline of Japan’s aviation history. He will start with the early strut-and-wire contraptions and go all the way to the launch of Japan’s first jet and rocket aircraft during the final stage of the Pacific War.

     

     

  • Professional Development Programs

    YCAPS is committed to supporting the personal and professional development of our members

    A group of 15 smiling people are sitting around tables at on outdoor restaurant in Yokohama, for beers, snacks, and discussion

    Network Building

    Meet People with Shared Interests and Common Ambitions

    YCAPS events are organized on the principal that who you meet is as important as what you learn. Therefore seminars and professional development experiences typically include a social portion where members can interact on a personal level with the world-class facilitators as well as the other participants. The events have proven to be fantastic opportunities to find mentors and develop peer-to-peer support networks.

    Photo taken from the back of a seminar hall where many attendees are quietly watching a presenter at the front of the room

    Open Seminar Series

    Learn from World-Class Experts in a Relaxed Setting

    YCAPS' open seminars bring experts from around the world to share their perspectives with our participants. Open to the public, the setting is community-oriented, relaxed, accessible and professional. The YCAPS/US-Japan Foundation Getting to Know Japan webinars offer introductory-level information about Japan's social and cultural landscape.

     

    The YCAPS/Sasakawa Peace Foundation Community Conversation series highlights topics that are of immediate interest to the base-hosting communities in Japan. These seminars are specifically designed to be applicable to all levels of expertise, from curious students to professionals working in that field. They are typically held in-person near U.S. bases in Japan.

     

    The YCAPS/Japan International Christian University Foundation Indo-Pacific Policy Dialogue program is designed to address advanced-level policy-oriented interests for academics, experts, and other specialists. These interactive online sessions facilitate dialogue among security experts, policy analysts, and senior academics in an effort to examine a wide range of issues affecting the Indo-Pacific region. Indo-Pacific Maritime Hour events are more technical in nature. These interactive online discussions engage regional practitioners directly involved in maritime security to shed light on maritime issues that have significant implications on regional stability in the Indo-Pacific.

    YCAPS Mongolia Connect logo (the Mongolian flag in the shape of the country, with a YCAPS logo in the center)

    Mongolia Connect

    Strengthening grassroots community connections for the common good

    The YCAPS Mongolia Connect program creates opportunities for Americans, Japanese, and Mongolians to establish international friendships, develop intercultural leadership skills, and learn about issues impacting the greater international community. The program's events mix social and educational experiences, language lessons, and volunteer opportunities in a unique and impactful way. Through empowering and connecting people from these three countries, YCAPS seeks to create long-lasting relationships.

    Seven smiling people gathered around an Izakaya table for dinner and discussion

    YCAPS Roundtables

    Informed Small-group Dinner Discussions

    YCAPS members gather in small groups to discuss current events in a casual atmosphere. Each roundtable is facilitated by a specialist who provides read-ahead materials to enable those attending to dive right into the discussion even before the food arrives. Invitations are shared with YCAPS members and those on our email list.

    Group of smiling people posting for a photo in front of a large naval canon

    YCAPS Military Support

    Supporting U.S. Navy Sailors at sea and military commands ashore

    YCAPS Afloat directly supports U.S. military personnel in their efforts to expand their regional knowledge and strategic thinking while deployed and during port visits throughout the Indo-Pacific region. Working in alignment with commands’ leadership and/or Morale, Welfare & Recreation (MWR) programs, YCAPS Afloat provides information and other resources or, when there are sufficient interested personnel, establishes a YCAPS chapter on board specific ships. If you are interested in receiving resources for you command (guest speakers, tailor reading packages, etc) or establishing a YCAPS Afloat chapter, please send us an email to get in touch.

    Book cover of "Underwriting the Alliance" 2021 Edition, by John Bradford & Michael Bosack

    Reference Materials & Reseach Projects

    Organizing and Sharing Information

    YCAPS'YCAPS creates and distributes reference materials for practitioners, researchers and students engaging with the region's strategic, diplomatic and legal affairs. Underwriting the Alliance is an annotated collection of the key bilateral treaties, agreements, and policy documents that provide the structure of the U.S.-Japan Alliance. Negotiate is a guide to negotiations for government practitioners. YCAPS largest research report to date is Prospects for the Quad Coast Guards to Cooperate Toward Implementation of the Free & Open Indo-Pacific Vision.  The YCAPS reading list is built on the suggestions of our members and participants.

    YCAPS members at an important security conference

    Fellowships, Internships, Scholarships, and Conferences

    Connecting People with Opportunities

    YCAPS has formal and informal relationships with many organizations that sponsor a wide range of professional development programs. These include university scholarships, fellowships, internships, travel grants, and conferences. In some cases, YCAPS members have opportunities for priority placement in these programs. In other cases, YCAPS volunteers are available to advise on placement and coach applications. Download the YCAPS Guide to Fellowships, Scholarships and Conferences, or contact us for more information. YCAPS hosts interns via a small program that tailors the terms of each internship to the specific needs of each applicant. Individuals interested in interning with YCAPS should complete this statement of interest.

    YCAPS Director sits with a young woman in a classroom while they collaborate on something on a laptop

    Writers' Circle

    Become a YCAPS writer

    The YCAPS Writers' Circle is a peer-to-peer network that supports professional writing throughout the process from idea to publication. Some of our members are professional editors or experienced authors who have published many books and articles. Others are aspiring to see their first piece in print. If you would like to get involved to get some advice regarding outlets and audiences, receive feedback on a draft manuscript, or to help others on their writing projects, email the Writers' Circle. We'll find you partners that suit your needs!

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    News & Announcements 

    Read our latest headlines

     

    2024年1月23日
     The Security Environment Surrounding Japan and Trends in the Development and Regulation of AI...
    By Giorgi Mamisashvili for YCAPS On February 28th Professor James D.J. Brown of Temple...
    By William Yale On Thursday, February 22nd, 2024, YCAPS hosted a wargaming night in Sasebo for...
    More Posts
  • Our Partners

    YCAPS partners with other organizations to deliver world-class programming

    Sasakawa Peace Foundation Logo

    The Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF), established in 1986, is a private foundation with the concept of “Think, Do, and Innovate-tank”. SPF conducts original research and does work that is rooted in the field to resolve issues based on local conditions and needs, with the aim of creating a world where people can live together and coexist, transcending politics, ideology, religion, race, and national borders. YCAPS collaborates with SPF to jointly deliver the Community Conversations Series.

    The Japan Foundation, New York (JFNY) logo

    The Japan Foundation, New York (JFNY) was established in 1991 to promote collaboration between the people of Japan, the United States, and beyond in order to address issues of global concern. YCAPS is collaborating with JFNY to jointly deliver the online Getting to Know Japan Webinar Series. JFNY was formerly known as The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership (CGP).

    JICUF Logo

    The Japan ICU Foundation (JICUF) is an independent educational foundation based in New York City. Their mission is to work with International Christian University to nurture global citizens who contribute to the well-being of humanity. YCAPS collaborates with JICUF to deliver the YCAPS-JICUF Indo-Pacific Policy Dialogue program.

    ISDP Logo

    The Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP) is a Stockholm-based non-profit and non-partisan research and policy organization. ISDP is dedicated to expanding understanding of international affairs, focusing on the inter-relationship between security, conflict, and development. YCAPS collaborates with ISDP's Stockholm Centre for South Asia and Indo-Pacific Affairs (SCSA-IPA) to jointly deliver our Europe-Asia Webinar Series.

    Temple University: Japan Campus Logo

    YCAPS and TUJ's Institute of Contemporary Asian Studies (ICAS) both serve as centers of gravity for professional development and advanced thinking on issues related to Asian politics, society, and economics. Because our regular event venues are about 90 minutes from each other, we share some audience members while serving different core communities. YCAPS and ICAS take advantage of this situation to regularly co-sponsor events.

    ISIC logo

    The International Security Industry Council (ISIC Japan) was established in 2019 to promote collaboration between indigenous space and defense companies with their foreign counterparts. Its mission is to foster personal and commercial relationships through persistent and informative engagement, online and in-person. YCAPS has collaborated with ISIC to build public awareness of the contributions American military bases provide and co-sponsor events.

    Pacific Forum Logo

    The Pacific Forum is a non-profit, foreign policy research institute based in Honolulu, Hawaii. YCAPS collaborates with the Pacific Forum to gather regional perspectives and disseminating findings and recommendations to opinion leaders, governments, and the public. We have co-sponsored public seminars, published collaborative reports, and jointly delivered the online Maritime Discussion Series that preceded the current Indo-Pacific Maritime Hour.

    United States-Japan Foundation Logo

    The United States-Japan Foundation (US-JF), established in 1980, is committed to promoting stronger ties between Americans and Japanese by supporting projects that foster mutual knowledge and education, deepen understanding, create effective channels of communication, and address common concerns in an increasingly interdependent world. YCAPS has collaborated with US-JF in the past to jointly deliver the Getting to Know Japan Webinar Series.

  • Team Members

    Smiling group of roughly 30 people is gathered for a photo on the deck of the Miskasa museum ship in Yokoksuka

    YCAPS and its services wouldn't be possible without our dedicated team of staff, research fellows, and volunteers. From social media management, website planning, and webinar moderating, to event organization, research, and community outreach, our team works tirelessly to ensure that we can continue to deliver world-class events and research that appeal to both experts and casual attendees.

     

    To learn more about our team members and their backgrounds, please visit our team page.

  • Support

    YCAPS is an all-volunteer organization, but we do need funds to deliver our programming

    Two men have an informal conversation over refreshments at a seminar

    YCAPS volunteers do not accept salaries or any sort of material compensation. However, we cannot deliver programs and events without funding. Internet services, advertising, consumables at our receptions, and tokens of appreciation for our speakers are among the largest costs. Partnerships with like-minded organizations and donations in kind from supporting businesses are a tremendous help, but more funds enable us to do more for our community. Follow this link to donate. Your donations are very much appreciated. YCAPS is 501(c)3 organization and donations are deductible from U.S. income taxes.

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