Videos

Japan–U.S. Program

2020.03.27

U.S. in 2020: Changing Society and Presidential Election

On February 7, 2020, the Japan-U.S. Program of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation hosted a public event "U.S. in 2020: Changing Society and Presidential Election". We invited Prof. Toshihiro Nakayama from Keio University and Prof. Paul Sracic from Youngstown State University in Ohio, who discussed the changing dynamics of American society and the U.S. politics in 2020.

Prof. Sracic explained the U.S. presidential election system, his analysis of the result of the Iowa Democratic Caucus held on February 3, and the process toward the nomination of the Democratic presidential candidate. He also mentioned that severe division within the party during the primaries may affect the presidential election.
In addition, Prof. Nakayama discussed on the current U.S. society from the longer perspective of the transformation of "conservative" and "liberal", using keywords such as "national conservatism" and "socialism". Based on his recent research, he argued that the reality of the United States is a divided nation, which is represented by Trump and Sanders phenomena.
In the latter part of the event, by using a cloud service “slido”, Prof. Nakayama invited the audience to vote in real time for some questions such as “Who will the best next U.S. presidential candidate for Japan?”
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Pacific Island Nations Program

2020.03.26

International Symposium "Discussion Toward Strengthening Pacific Island Countries-Japan Partnership"

The Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) held the "Cutting-Edge #7 Post PALM8 Symposium" under the title "Discussion Toward Strengthening Pacific Island Countries-Japan Partnership -Multi-Layered Structure of Pacific Islands Regional Order and Security-" in Tokyo on January 29, 2020. The symposium was held to discuss the current state of the Pacific islands from national, regional, and local perspectives, and consider how Japan should strengthen its mutual cooperation with Pacific island countries.

The video presents the keynote speech delivered by H.E. Isikeli Mataitoga, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Japan, Republic of Fiji (on behalf of H.E. Solo Mara, Secretary General, PIDF), as well as two lectures from the symposium, by Ms. Nanise Saune-Qaloewai, Deputy Team Leader, UNDP Governance Project, UN Resident Coordinator's Office Fiji, and H.E. Dr. Fabrizio Bozzato, Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary to the Republic of Nauru, Sovereign Military Order of Malta, respectively.
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Asia Peace Initiatives Department

2020.01.30

Violent Extremism and Social Integration: Pakistan, Indonesia, and Japan's Aum Shinrikyo

SPF recently invited Dr. Fatima Waqi Sajjad (University of Management and Technology, Pakistan) and Mr. Muhammad Faisal Magrie (Search for Common Ground, Indonesia) to provide an update about violent extremism and social integration in Pakistan and Indonesia.

Keynote Presentation by Dr. Sajjad (00:08)
Keynote Presentation by Mr. Magrie (17:46)

Japan–U.S. Program

2020.01.17

“Diversity in Leadership: The Journey of Asian American State Legislators in 2019” ―A Panel Discussion with U.S. State Legislators―

The Sasakawa Peace Foundation and the U.S.-Japan Council co-hosted a panel discussion with six distinguished Asian American state legislators from diverse backgrounds who are participating in the 2019 Asian American Leadership Delegation (AALD) program.

The AALD program is co-organized by the U.S.-Japan Council and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, with support from the National Asian Pacific American Caucus of State Legislators. The AALD program gives selected state-elected Asian American officials the opportunity to visit Japan for one week to meet and exchange ideas with Japanese political, governmental, business and community leaders at both the national and local levels. It aims to enhance mutual understanding and network building between Japan and the United States.

The panel discussion was moderated by Mrs. Nobuko Sasae, President of Nobuko Forum Japan, and the delegates talked about their respective political and personal journeys in the United States.

Ocean Policy Research Institute

2020.01.08

Keynote Speech from "Rollout Symposium of the IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC)"

*Please jump to the 12:51 mark for the keynote speech delivered by Dr. Hans-Otto Pörtner.
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The Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (OPRI-SPF) co-hosted the "Rollout Symposium of the IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC)" with the Ministry of the Environment on October 15, 2019, in Tokyo. In the symposium, Dr. Hans-Otto Pörtner (Co-Chair, Working Group II, IPCC / Professor, Head of the Department of Integrative Ecophysiology at the Alfred Wegener Institute) and several authors of SROCC from Japan and other countries in Asia gave presentations on the latest scientific findings indicated in the report.

The video presents the keynote speech delivered by Dr. Pörtner, as shown from the 12:51 mark. In addition, it includes the opening and special remarks (in Japanese) delivered by Dr. Atsushi Sunami (President, OPRI-SPF) and Mr. Tamaki Tsukada (Director-General for Global Issues/ Assistant Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan), respectively.
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Ocean Policy Research Institute

2019.12.13

Highlights: International Symposium Commemorating the 25th Anniversary of Japan-Palau Diplomatic Relations

H.E. Tommy Remengesau Jr., President of the Republic of Palau, recently visited SPF to speak about Palau’s progressive ocean policies, the work of the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, and plans for the 7th Our Ocean Conference to be hosted by Palau in August 2020. You can watch highlights of the president's speech as well as additional comments by H.E. Faustina K. Rehuher-Marugg, Minister of State, Republic of Palau, and H.E. Francis M. Matsutaro, Ambassador of the Republic of Palau to Japan.
International Peace and Security Department

2019.10.31

Is the Japan-U.S. Alliance Unfair? Comparisons between U.S. Alliances in Europe and Asia

Under the “America First” motto, U.S. President Donald Trump has continued to criticize the U.S. alliance with Japan as unfair and demand greater military and financial investment from allies around the world. Against this backdrop, SPF in collaboration with the Casimir Pulaski Foundation of Poland has conducted a series of comparative analyses to compile balance sheets outlining the strengths and weaknesses of U.S. allies in Asia and Europe.

On October 24, 2019, SPF welcomed the authors of this research to Tokyo for discussions comparing Japan's relative strengths and weaknesses with other U.S. allies, with the ultimate goal of uncovering strategies for maintaining the Japan-U.S. alliance moving forward.

For more on the speakers, please visit the event page.
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Ocean Policy Research Institute

2019.09.30

TICAD VII Side Event 2: Conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of blue carbon ecosystems

From August 27-28, 2019, the Ocean Policy Research Institute (OPRI) of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) organized two side events on the sidelines of the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 7) in Yokohama. The second side event focused on the latest developments in blue carbon and explored potential avenues for international collaboration.
Ocean Policy Research Institute

2019.09.30

TICAD VII Side Event 1: Promoting a sustainable blue economy in Africa

From August 27-28, 2019, the Ocean Policy Research Institute (OPRI) of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) organized two side events on the sidelines of the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 7) in Yokohama. The first OPRI side event assembled a panel of experts and government officials to discuss opportunities for promoting the blue economy in Africa.
International Peace and Security Department

2019.09.12

SPF China Observer: A new U.S.-China Cold War? A look at China’s true intentions

On July 24, 2019, SPF hosted a public forum entitled “SPF China Observer: A new U.S.-China Cold War? A look at China’s true intentions.” From escalating trade frictions to technological competition, the ongoing confrontation between the U.S. and China continues to affect not only economic relations, but also spans into the security and political realms as well.

In the face of extreme pressure from the U.S., China also appears to be setting the stage for a long-term battle. Given these circumstances, what are China’s ultimate objectives, and how will the country act moving forward? To address these questions and more, the forum assembled a panel of specialists in Chinese politics, economics, society, diplomacy, and security for in-depth discussions.
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