The Allied Securs Exchange Network (ASPEN) is proud to announce that it held its second workshop on June 14th, 2025 in Kobe. We hosted almost 40 security practitioners from across all US military branches, US State Department representatives from the Embassy in Tokyo, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) office in Washington DC, to all JSDF branches, the Japanese Coast Guard, and academic specialists. We were hosted at the JICA Kansai Office and also had the opportunity to visit the Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institutions (DRI) Museum.
The program included multiple presentations from leaders directly involved in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Operations, such as Operation Tomodachi. We also had leaders discuss the Japanese and American responses to Typhoon Haiyan, earthquakes in Kumamoto, and the recent recovery operations in Noto. With these presentations, themes emerged that enabled the participants to collaborate and communicate through the HA/DR crisis simulation in the afternoon. All groups had the chance to present and question other group’s recommendations in order to enhance the understanding of HA/DR complexity. After wrapping up the workshop, all participants and facilitators enjoyed an evening of networking and camaraderie at the Alchemy Bar and Restaurant.
