Experts

Katsuya “Kats” Yamamoto, RADM (ret.) Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) joined SPF as a senior research fellow in April 2023.

A native of Kobe, Kats graduated from the Japan National Defense Academy and earned a Master of Policy Studies degree from the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies. He also attended the Maritime Law Enforcement Officer Course at the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center in Yorktown, Virginia; the Command & Staff Course at the JMSDF Staff College; and the Regular Course of the National Institute for Defense Studies (NIDS) and the People's Liberation Army National Defence University in Beijing.

He was a surface warfare officer, serving onboard various destroyers and commanding the JS SHIRAYUKI (DD123). He also worked in a variety of positions including Chief of the International Policy Planning Section at the Joint Staff Office and Director of National Security & Strategic Studies Office in the JMSDF Staff College.

As a military diplomat, Kats served as Defense/Naval Attaché to China and President of the Naval Attaché Corps in Beijing. He later served as Liaison Officer and International Military Professor of the U.S. Naval War College in Rhode Island. Kats enjoyed collaborating with the distinguished faculty members and published many articles in Japanese and English. His last mission of the active duty was as Director of Education at NIDS.

He has been awarded the Ba-Yi Medal from the Ministry of National Defense, PRC, and the Meritorious Service Medal from the U.S. Navy. Kats is a Board member of the Japan-America Society of Southern New England/JANAFA Newport, and the Visiting Fellow of the Philippine Public Safety College.

US-China Relations and Japan's Security