Further Strengthening of the Japan-U.S. Alliance at Sea

YCAPS and The Sasakawa Peace Foundation are excited to announce our next event in Sasebo. This event will feature RADM Yasuhiro Kawakami (JMSDF), Ret., who will lead us in a discussion on the actions the JMSDF is taking to strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance in the context of Japan's new security policy introduced in December 2022.

In December 2022, Japan's three security documents were released. This document outlines Japan's new security policy, which calls for further strengthening of the Japan-U.S. alliance. One year will soon have passed since the documents were released. During the past year, maritime actions have been taken to strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance based on this policy. This presentation will discuss how the JMSDF has been conducting exercises and trainings to strengthen the alliance and also to strengthen cooperation with like-minded countries, which are the twin pillars of the alliance, using "The Indo-Pacific Deployment 2023 (IPD23)" of the JMSDF in the Indo-Pacific as a case study.

All are welcome and free food and refreshments will be provided.

Please use this link to register for the event.

Schedule:

• 17:30-18:15 - Welcome reception (food & drinks). Feel free to show up anytime during the reception.
• 18:15-19:30 - Seminar and Q&A.
• 19:30-19:45 - Optional casual networking and chatting/wrap up.

Location:

Machinaka Community Center: Room 1

5-5 Tokiwacho, Sasebo, Nagasaki 857-0053

Google Map

Speaker:

Yasuhiro Kawakami is a native of Bisei-cho (Beautiful Star town) in Okayama Prefecture (Western Japan). He is a security expert specializing in military strategy, operational Art, operational mobility, tactics, national defense studies, and Japanese security policy. He graduated from the National Defense Academy of Japan in 1988, and the High Level Mine Warfare School and the Naval War College. Additionally, he received a Master’s Degree of Arts (Social Management Science) at the Open University of Japan in 2021. After qualifying as a surface warfare officer, he carried out duties on JS Shimayuki (DD133), as navigation officer on JS Asagiri (DD151), and as damage control officer on JS Sawagiri (DD157), all in Sasebo. Over the course of five overseas deployments, he commanded the minesweeper ship JS Hikoshima (MSC 669, base port at Sasebo), Minesweeper Division 46 (MSCx3, base port at Okinawa), and Minesweeper Division 51 (MSOx3, base port at Yokosuka), and also commanded the Deploy Task Force as chief-of-staff for Commander, Mine Warfare and Amphibious Warfare Force. He completed five tours in the Maritime Staff Office, Chief of Training Section, where he was responsible for defense planning, public affairs, personnel planning, manager of honors and discipline, and commanded the Mine Warfare Support Center (CMWSC). He assumed the post of chairman and professor of the Department of National Defense Studies at the National Defense Academy of Japan in September 2018, and retired from the JMSDF in December 2020 (Rear Admiral JMSDF (Ret.).

He assumed the position of Senior Research Fellow in the Sasakawa Peace Foundation in October 2021. Currently, he serves as a Director of Security Studies Program in SPF.

Event Cost: Free of charge

Location: Machinaka Community Center, Room 1: 5-5 Tokiwacho, Sasebo, Nagasaki 857-0053

Google Maps: Here

Moderator: Jeff Mazziotta

Registration: Optional via this link.