More Than Entertainment: Is Japan’s IP Now a Security Issue?

The Yokosuka Council on Asia-Pacific Studies (YCAPS) is pleased to present the next installment of Soft Power, Hard Questions: A Forum for Indo-Pacific Culture, Society & Policy: More Than Entertainment: Is Japan’s IP Now a Security Issue? A Conversation with Makoto Tsujiguchi from CSIS

Japan creates the world’s most beloved IP. But in an age of cognitive warfare, who holds the power that comes with it?

In this episode, Waka Ikeda sits down with Makoto Tsujiguchi, a policy strategist who bridges Japan’s business establishment and Washington’s security community. The IP people love determines where they get their information, how their emotions are shaped inside fan communities, and ultimately how they feel about the country that created it. So what does that mean for Japan, and is anyone in Tokyo paying attention?

To join use this link to register with Zoom

You will need the link and passcode provided in the confirmation email.

This event is a part of YCAPS' "Soft Power, Hard Questions" series.

Date: Saturday, December 12, 2026 (Friday, December 11 in the United States)

Time: 10:00-11:00 AM JST / 20:00-21:00 PM EST

Venue: Online (zoom)

Schedule:

10:00 JST: Discussion by host and guest followed by moderated audience Q&A

11:00 JST: Webinar concludes

Speaker:

Makoto Tsujiguchi is a Visiting Fellow with the Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C., and a Senior Fellow at the Keidanren Policy Research Institute. She researches U.S.-Japan cooperation in science, technology, and innovation. At Keidanren she worked on policy formulation and coordination for Japan’s private sector across industrial, technology, and international economic issues. In August 2026 she published the CSIS commentary “More Than Entertainment: Japan’s Creative Industries and the U.S.-Japan Partnership.” She holds a B.A. in International Relations from International Christian University and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Tokyo.

Host:

Waka Ikeda is a Japanese journalist based in Budapest and Tokyo, and Research Fellow and Program Director at YCAPS. A contributing writer at The Japan Times, she also writes for Nikkei Asia, covering soft power, youth culture, and the intersection of Japan, Asia, the US, and Europe. She wrote for The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus on “Young Audiences Abandoning Traditional Media in the Age of Takaichi” (January 2026). She hosts Soft Power, Hard Questions.

Format: This event will be off the record. Questions are encouraged.

Registration: Required Link

Moderator: Waka Ikeda

Webinar Cost: Free of charge