“US-Japan Relations: A New Partnership for a New Era”
Invitation to a Lecture by Ambassador Michael Armacost
On Tuesday, May 15, 2012

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The Sasakawa Peace Foundation invited Ambassador Michael Armacost, former US Ambassador to Japan to present a lecture on the theme of “US-Japan Relations: A New Partnership for a New Era” in Tokyo on May 15th, 2012. Ambassador Armacost is currently a Shorenstein Distinguished Fellow, the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC), Stanford University. He entered the State Department in 1969 and remained in public service for 24 years. During that time he held sensitive international security positions in the State Department, Defense Department and the National Security Council. He also served as Ambassador to the Philippines from 1982-1984, Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs from 1984-1989 and Ambassador to Japan from 1989-1993.

When he was US Ambassador to Japan, it was the midst of the Japanese bubble economy and the two countries had been facing many difficult bilateral issues, including trade conflict. At the same time, this period witnessed a drastic change in the world due to the end of the Cold War and the firs Gulf War.

More than twenty years have passed, and we are currently facing the shift in power balance in the Asia-Pacific region. As we need to build a new partnership between Japan and the United States to respond to a new environment, how does the former US Ambassador to Japan who tackled with many difficulties during the changing period twenty years ago see the future development of the two countries? He addressed the future of US-Japan relations, comparing the two eras and analyzing the on-going issues such as Okinawa, TPP and Energy security.

• Contact:
  The U.S.-Japan Exchange Program Team, The Sasakawa Peace Foundation
  Tel: 03-6229-5426 Fax: 03-6229-5473 Email: japan-us@spf.or.jp