Security Studies Program Seminars

The 1st SPF Defense Dialogue

Enhancing Japan’s Defense Capabilities and Challenges Beyond 2027

Organized by: Sasakawa Peace Foundation

The international community is now facing its greatest trial since the postwar period. The existing order is under serious challenge, and the world has entered a new era of crisis. The security environment surrounding Japan has also become more severe and complex than at any time since the end of World War II. Under these circumstances, in 2022, Japan formulated the so-called "Three Strategic Documents"—the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy, and the Defense Buildup Program. This marked a historic turning point in Japan's defense policy. Currently, based on this new National Defense Strategy, the government is making fundamental enhancements to its defense capabilities with timelines set for 2027 and 2035. However, the depreciation of the yen and rising prices of various goods have driven up the cost of defense equipment, further complicating the conditions surrounding Japan’s defense capability development. What are the specific issues that need to be addressed in order to achieve this goal?

At this symposium, we are honored to welcome State Minister of Defense Mr. Taro Honda as our keynote speaker, who will discuss the theme of strengthening Japan’s new defense capabilities and the challenges beyond 2027. Following his speech, a panel discussion will be held with five distinguished panelists: Director General of the Defense Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Defense Mr. Taro Yamato, Director General of the Defense Plans and Policy Department Major General Nobutaka Minamikawa, and the Director Generals of the Policy and Programs Department from the Ground, Maritime, and Air Staff Offices—Major General Norimichi Shirakawa, Rear Admiral Toshiyuki Hirata, and Major General Takahiro Kubota. These key figures, comprising both senior government officials and Self-Defense Force officers leading Japan’s defense buildup, will discuss the challenges and prospects of defense enhancement from their respective perspectives.

The discussion will be moderated by Adm. Tomohisa Takei, former Chief of Staff of the Maritime Self-Defense Force and currently a Senior Fellow at Sasakawa Peace Foundation. Through dialogue with the panelists and interactive Q&A sessions, we aim to deepen the understanding of fundamental defense strengthening.

We hope this symposium will provide an opportunity to enhance awareness of the increasingly complex security environment. We look forward to your participation.

Registration

If you would like to participate, please apply from this page by 12:00 on Wednesday, February 26 (JST).

When registering, please double check the email address provided in the form before submitting.

After registration, you will receive a temporary registration confirmation email. Please click the registration completion URL in the email within 24 hours of receiving it to finalize your registration.

If you do not receive this email, please also check the spam email box.

*We will use your registration information for future invitations to seminars and lectures sponsored or supported by SPF.

*Recording, audio recording, taking screenshots, and any form of capturing this symposium, as well as secondary use of materials and posting on social media or video-sharing platforms, are strictly prohibited.

Contact: SPF Security Studies Program
E-mail: anpo-seminar@spf.or.jp
Tel: +81-3-5157-5209

For media inquiries:
E-mail: spfpr@spf.or.jp
Tel: +81-3-5157-5395

Description

15:00-15:05 JST	Opening Remarks Dr. Atsushi Sunami
15:05-15:25 JST	Keynote Address Mr. Taro Honda
15:25-16:35 JST	Panel Discussion Mr. Taro Yamato MG. Nobutaka Minamikawa MG. Norimichi Shirakawa RADM. Toshiyuki Hirata MG. Takahiro Kubota ＜Moderator＞ ADM. Tomohisa Takei
16:35-16:55 JST	Q&A Session
16:55-17:00 JST	Closing Remarks RADM. Yasuhiro Kawakami

*The event program and speakers are subject to change.

Speaker

Profile

Education
・Toudaiji Gakuen High School
・School of Law, The University of Tokyo
・Graduate Schools for Law and Politics, The University of Tokyo
・Graduate School for Law, Waseda University

Professional Career
・Monex, Inc.
・Atsumi Sakai Law Firm
・Kyoto Prefectural Assembly
・Lawyer

Political Career
【Cabinet】
Oct. 2021　Parliamentary Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs (Kishida Cabinet)
Nov. 2021　Parliamentary Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs (The 2nd Kishida Reshuffled Cabinet)
【House of Representatives】
Nov. 2017　Member, Committee on Rules and Administration
Nov. 2017　Member, Committee on Political Ethics and Election Law
Dec. 2022　Member, Committee on Health, Labor and Welfare
Nov. 2024　Director, Committee on General Affairs

Profile

Apr. 1990 Joined Japan Defense Agency (JDA)
　　　　　Defense Policy Division, Bureau of Defense Policy (BDP)
Apr. 1991 Facilities Planning Division, Defense Facilities Administration Agency
Jun. 1993 1st Defense Intelligence Division, BDP, JDA
Apr. 1995 Assistant Director, 1st Defense Intelligence Division, BDP
Aug. 1995 Study at the Fletcher School (through Aug 1997)
Aug. 1997 Assistant Director, Defense Policy Division, BDP
Jul. 1999 Assistant Director, Planning & Programming Division, BDP
May 2001 Deputy Director, Operations Planning Division, Bureau of Defense Operations
Apr. 2003 Cabinet Intelligence & Research Office
Aug. 2004 Deputy Director, Defense Intelligence Division, BDP
Sep. 2007 Deputy Director, Secretarial Division, Minister's Secretariat
Aug. 2008 Director, Personnel Planning Office, Secretarial Division, Minister’s Secretariat
Aug. 2009 Director, Strategic Planning Office, Defense Policy Division, BDP
Aug. 2012 Director for Assessment, Defense Intelligence Headquarters
Jul. 2013 Director, Defense Intelligence Division, BDP
Oct. 2015 Director, Japan-U.S. Defense Cooperation Division, BDP
Aug. 2017 Director, Defense Policy Division, BDP
Jan. 2019 Deputy Director-General, International Peace Cooperation Headquarters, Cabinet Office
Aug. 2020 Deputy Director-General, BDP, Ministry of Defense
Jul. 2022 Administrative Vice Chief of Staff, Joint Staff
Jul. 2023 Director-General, Bureau of Policies for Regional Society
Jul. 2024 Present position

Profile

Mar. 1993 4th Field Artillery Group
Mar. 1999 Company Commander, 4th Field Artillery Group
Aug. 1999 Command and General Staff Course, Staff College
Aug. 2001 Field Artillery Department, Fuji School
Jul. 2002 Ministry of Finance
Aug. 2004 Policy and Programs Department, GSO
Mar. 2008 Commander, 2nd Battalion, 4th Field Artillery Regiment
Aug. 2009 Operation Support and Training Department, GSO
Mar. 2011 Staff College
Apr. 2013 Chief, Training Sec, Education and Training Div, Education and Training Dept, GSO
Mar. 2015 Commander, 7th Field Artillery Regiment.
Mar. 2017 Chief, Training Div, Operation Support and Training Dept, GSO
Mar. 2018 Director, Training Evaluation Dept, TERCOM
Dec. 2019 Deputy Chief of Staff, Western Army HQ
Mar. 2021 Director, Field Artillery Department, Fuji School
Dec. 2022 Present Assignment

Profile

Oct. 1993 41st Infantry Regiment (Beppu)
Aug. 2000 Infantry Division, Fuji School (Fuji)
Aug. 2001 #47 Command and General Staff Course, Staff College (Meguro)
Aug. 2003 Company Commander, 13th Infantry Regiment (Matsumoto)
Aug. 2004 12th Brigade Headquarter (Soumagahara)
Aug. 2005 Commander, Transportation unit, 20th Japan Contingent, UNDOF
Mar. 2006 12th Brigade Headquarter (Soumagahara)
Mar. 2006 Operations Division, Policy & Programs Department, GSO (Ichigaya)
Mar. 2008 U.S. Marine Corps Command and Staff College
Aug. 2009 Assignment Div., Personnel Dept., GSO (Ichigaya)
Aug. 2012 Education Division, Staff College, JGSDF (Meguro)
Dec. 2012 Administration Div., Comptroller Dept. GSO (Ichigaya)
Apr. 2013 Chief, Plans & Administration Sec., Logistics Management Div, Logistics Dept, GSO (Ichigaya)
Apr. 2015 Commander, 34th Infantry Regiment and Garrison Commander, Camp Itazuma (Itazuma)
Jul. 2016 Chief, 2nd Operations Div., J-3, JSO (Ichigaya)
Aug. 2018 Commander, 5th Engineer Brigade and Garrison Commander, Camp Ogori (Ogori)
Aug. 2020 Deputy Chief of Staff (Operations), Eastern Army HQ (Asaka)
Sep. 2021 Deputy Director General, Defense Plans and Policy Department (J-5), Joint Staff (Ichigaya)
Mar. 2023 Present Assignment

Profile

Jan. 1996 Communications Officer, JS Hiei (DDH-142)
Dec. 1997 CDS Officer, JS Myoko (DDG-175)
Mar. 1999 Instructor, JMSDF Officer Candidate School
Mar. 2000 Damage Control Officer, JS Murasame (DD-101)
Mar. 2001 Navigation Officer, JS Sawayuki (DD-125)
Jul. 2002 OPS Staff Officer, Escort Division 7
Mar. 2005 OPS and C4I Staff Officer, Escort Flotilla 1
Mar. 2006 OPS Officer, JS Kongo (DDG-173)
Mar. 2007 BMD Officer, JS Kongo (DDG-173)
Mar. 2009 C4I systems Division, MSO
Mar. 2011 1st OPS Division, J-3, Joint Staff Office
Mar. 2012 Commanding Officer, JS Umigiri (DD-158)
Mar. 2013 Training Staff Officer, Escort Fleet Force
Jul. 2015 Plans and Programs Division, MSO
Aug. 2016 Chief of Plans and Policy Section, MSO
Aug. 2017 Commander, Escort Division 12
Aug. 2018 Deputy Director, Plans and Policy Division, MSO
Dec. 2018 Director of C4I system Division, MSO
Aug. 2019 Director of Assignment Division, MSO
Aug. 2020 Commander, Escort Flotilla Four
Dec. 2022 Chief of Staff, Fleet Escort Force
Aug. 2024 Director General, Operations and Plans Department, MSO

Profile

Sep. 1994 Headquarters, Air Training Command
Sep. 1998 201st Tactical Fighter Squadron, 2nd Air Wing
Jan. 2007 Defense Plans/Policies and Programs Division, Defense Planning and Policy Department, ASO
Aug. 2009 Chief, Defense and Operations Branch, 6th Air Wing
Mar. 2011 Commander, 306th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 6th Air Wing
July. 2014 Chief, Career Management Section, Personnel and Education Planning Division, Personnel and Education Department, ASO
Apr. 2017 Head, Defense Plans and Operations Division, Headquarters, Northern Air Defense Force
Mar. 2018 Director, 1st Operations Division, Operations Department, Joint Staff
Aug. 2019 Commander, 3rd Air Wing/Commander, Misawa Air Base
Aug. 2022 Dean, School of Defense Sciences, National Defense Academy
Aug. 2024 Present

Profile

Admiral Takei retired from active duty in December 2016 after having served for two years as the 32nd Chief of Staff of the JMSDF. Prior to this post, Admiral Takei served as the Commandant, JMSDF Yokosuka District (2012-2014); Vice Chief of Staff, JMSDF (2011-2012); Commandant, JMSDF Ominato District (2010-2011); Director, the MSO Operations and Plans Department (N3/N5) (2008-2010); Chief of Staff, Kure District (2007-2008); Director, the C4I Systems Department (J6), Joint Staff Office (2006-2007), among others.

Admiral Takei joined the JMSDF after graduating from the National Defense Academy and holds a master’s degree from the University of Tsukuba. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Naval War College, class of 1999.

In 2016, Admiral Takei was awarded L'ordre national de la légion d'honneur by the Government of France, and was awarded the Legion of Merit from the U.S. four times, as well as the Legion of Merit from Turkey. He assumed the position of CNO’s Distinguished International Fellow in the International Programs Department at the U.S. Naval War College in April 2017.

Admiral Takei has been a senior fellow at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation since April 2024. He also serves as a special advisor to the CEO of the SAMPA K.K. in Yokohama from March 2020, an adjunct fellow at the Japan Institute for International Affairs since October 2020, and an advisor to the Japan Forum of Strategic Studies.

Opening Remarks

Dr. Atsushi Sunami

President, Sasakawa Peace Foundation

Closing Remarks

RADM. Yasuhiro Kawakami

Director and Senior Research Fellow, Security Studies Program, Sasakawa Peace Foundation / Rear Admiral, JMSDF (retired)

27 Feb 2025