Japan Memo
The International Institute for Strategic Studies
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Top 10 Japan Memo Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Japan Memo episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Japan Memo for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Japan Memo episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
05/14/24 • 45 min
Robert Ward hosts Chris Hughes, Professor of International Politics and Japanese Studies at the University of Warwick, Dr Naoko Aoki , Associate Political Scientist at the RAND Corporation, and Joseph Dempsey, Research Associate for Defence and Military Analysis at the IISS.
Robert, Chris, Naoko and Joseph discuss Japan and North Korea:
- Japan’s diplomatic strategy towards North Korea
- North Korea’s strategy for its advancing missile and nuclear capabilities
- The development of Japan’s counterstrike capabilities and the challenges they face
- Implications for Japan of the strategic cooperation between North Korea, China and Russia
We hope you enjoy the episode and please follow, rate, and subscribe to Japan Memo on your podcast platform of choice. If you have any comments or questions, please contact us at [email protected] or visit our website The International Institute for Strategic Studies (iiss.org)
Date recorded: 26 April 2024
Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.
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Robert Ward hosts Axel Berkofsky, Associate Professor at the University of Pavia, Professor Hatakeyama Kyoko, Professor of International Relations at University of Niigata Prefecture, and Professor Takenaka Harukata, Professor of Political Science at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies.
Robert, Axel, Kyoko and Harukata discuss:
· Review of the Kishida administration’s security and foreign policy
· The Ishiba administration’s foreign policy amid intensifying US-China competition
· The Ishiba administration’s defence policy in Japan’s deteriorating security environment
· The Ishiba administration’s economic security and domestic economic policies
We hope you enjoy the episode and please follow, rate, and subscribe to Japan Memo on your podcast platform of choice. If you have any comments or questions, please contact us at [email protected].
Date recorded: 08 October 2024
Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Japan and the EU with Professor Iwama Yoko, Professor Guibourg Delamotte and Dr Alexandra Sakaki
Japan Memo
06/13/24 • 56 min
Robert Ward hosts Iwama Yoko, Professor at Japan's National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), Guibourg Delamotte, Professor of Political Science at the Japanese Studies Department of the French Institute of Oriental Studies (Inalco), and Dr Alexandra Sakaki, Deputy Head of the Asia Division at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs at Stiftung Wissenschaft and Politik (SWP).
Robert, Yoko, Guibourg and Alexandra discuss Japan and the EU:
- EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific amid Russia’s war against Ukraine
- China's growing footprint in Europe and its implications for the EU's Indo-Pacific strategy
- The development and challenges of enhanced defence cooperation between Japan and the EU
- Implications for the future of the similarity between Japan’s and the EU’s economic security strategies
For more information, transcript and background reading, please visit out website IISS Podcast: Japan Memo.
We hope you enjoy the episode and please follow, rate, and subscribe to Japan Memo on your podcast platform of choice. If you have any comments or questions, please contact us at [email protected].
Date recorded: 24 May 2024
Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Introducing: Japan Memo
Japan Memo
07/01/21 • 1 min
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01/17/23 • 37 min
In the first episode of Japan Memo season 3, Yuka Koshino, Mariko Togashi and Robert Ward host Professor Kanehara Nobukatsu, Professor at the Faculty of Law at Doshisha University, senior advisor at The Asia Group in Washington DC, and former Assistant Chief Cabinet Secretary to Prime Minister Abe Shinzo from 2012 to 2019.
Yuka, Mariko, Robert and Kanehara-sensei unpack Japan’s three historic new national-security documents, offer their insights on the significance and details of these documents, analyse the impacts of the ensuing shift in Japanese security and defence policy, and delve into the regional and international perspectives of the three new strategies.
Topics discussed include:
- A macro-scale overview of the key strategy shifts in the documents
- Japan’s ability to develop counterstrike capabilities and their implications for deterrence and war-fighting capabilities
- The trajectory of Japan’s civil-military divide
- How to effectively integrate economic security into a broader national defence strategy
- Perspectives from strategic competitors, allies and like-minded countries
The following literature is recommended by our guest to gain a clearer picture of the topics discussed:
- ‘君たち、中国に勝てるのか’/ 岩田清文, 尾上定正, 武居智久, 兼原信克 (‘Can you win against China’ by Kiyofumi Iwata, Oue Sadamasa, Tomohisa Takei and Kanehara Nobukatsu)
- ‘国家安全保障戦略’ (‘National Security Strategy of Japan’ 2022)
- ‘国家防衛戦略’ (‘National Defence Strategy of Japan’ 2022)
- ‘防衛力整備計画’ (‘Defence Programme Guidelines’ 2022)
We hope you enjoy the episode and please follow, rate, and subscribe to Japan Memo on the podcast platform of your choice.
Date of Recording: 9 January 2023
Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Japan’s defence and security roles in a Taiwan contingency with Satoru Mori and Zack Cooper
Japan Memo
12/13/22 • 41 min
In this month’s episode of Japan Memo, Robert Ward and Yuka Koshino are joined by Satoru Mori, Professor at Keio University in Tokyo and a Senior Fellow at the Nakasone Peace Institute (NPI) and Zack Cooper, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI).
Robert, Yuka, Satoru and Zack provide US and Japanese perspectives on Taiwan contingency scenarios; their analyses on Taiwan contingency wargames conducted in the US and Japan between 2021-2022; and offer assessments on what the US and Japan can and should do to better prepare for a contingency scenario in peacetime.
Topics discussed include:
- The outcomes of the wargames conducted between 2021-2022
- The challenges and limitations for the US, Japan and their alliance in a Taiwan contingency
- How Japan’s three new strategic documents will consider a Taiwan contingency
- The peacetime contingency preparations that should be undertaken by the US, Japan, and their alliance
The following literature is recommended by our guests to gain a clearer picture of the topics discussed:
- ‘Self-respect and Independence of Mind: The Challenge of Yukichi Fukuzawa’ by Shinichi Kitaoka (translated by James M. Vardaman)
- ‘Japan Prepares for Total War’ by Michael Beinart
We hope you enjoy the episode and please follow, rate, and subscribe to Japan Memo on the podcast platform of your choice.
Date of Recording: 25 November 2022
Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
11/17/22 • 37 min
In this month’s episode of Japan Memo, Yuka Koshino is joined by Martijn Rasser, Senior Fellow and Director of the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for New American Security, Meia Nouwens, IISS Senior Fellow for Chinese Defence Policy and Military Modernisation, and Mariko Togashi, Matsumoto-Samata Research Fellow for Japanese Security and Defence Policy at the IISS.
Yuka, Martijn, Meia and Mariko provide US, Japanese, Chinese, Taiwanese and European perspectives on their respective geoeconomic landscape and economic security policy; their views towards and preparations for a Taiwan contingency in the context of economic security; and offer their assessment of potential national and multilateral responses to such a contingency.
Topics discussed include:
- The economic security policies of the US, China, Taiwan and Japan
- US, Chinese, and Japanese views on the impact of a Taiwan contingency on economic security
- The global and regional semiconductor landscape and its impact on reactions to tensions in the Taiwan Strait
- A potential sanctions regime against China in a case of Taiwan contingency
The following literature is recommended by our guests to gain a clearer picture of the topics discussed:
- ‘Rich Nation, Strong Army’ by Richard J. Samuels
- ‘Middle Kingdom and Empire of the Rising Sun: Sino-Japanese Relations, Past and Present’ by June Teufel Dreyer
- ‘China and Japan: Facing History’ by Ezra Vogel
- ‘自衛隊最高幹部が語る台湾有事’ /岩田 清文 ,武居 智久, 尾上 定正, 兼原 信克 (‘JSDF Top Executives Talk About Taiwan Contingency’ by Iwata Kiyofumi, Takei Tomohisa, Oue Sadamasa and Kanehara Nobukatsu)
We hope you enjoy the episode and please follow, rate, and subscribe to Japan Memo on the podcast platform of your choice.
Date of Recording: 10 November 2022
Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
10/11/22 • 36 min
In this episode of Japan Memo, Yuka Koshino and Mariko Togashi host Matsubara Mihoko, chief cybersecurity strategist at NTT Corporation and research associate for Cyber, Space and Future Conflict at the IISS.
Yuka, Mariko and Mihoko-san analyse Japan’s approaches to cybersecurity, notably following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, offer perspectives on Japan’s cyber capabilities and their impact on national security, and give a rundown of the state of cybersecurity at Japan’s commercial level.
Topics discussed include:
- Hybrid warfare in Ukraine and its impact on Japan’s cyber policies
- Japan’s views on China’s increasing technological and cyber capabilities
- Japan’s cyber capabilities and its strengths and weaknesses
- Incorporating cyber into the upcoming defence document revisions
- How cybersecurity fits into Japan’s economic security framework
The following literature is recommended by our guest to gain a clearer picture of the topics discussed:
- “サイバーセキュリティ 組織を脅威から守る戦略・人材・インテリジェンス”, 松原 実穂子 (“Cybersecurity to Protect the Way of Our Digital Life” by Matsubara Mihoko)
We hope you enjoy the episode and please follow, rate, and subscribe to Japan Memo on the podcast platform of your choice.
Date of Recording: 4 October 2022
Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
09/06/22 • 33 min
In this episode of Japan Memo, Robert Ward and Yuka Koshino host Professor Takahara Akio, Director of the JICA Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development, Professor of Contemporary Chinese Politics at the University of Tokyo, Distinguished Research Fellow at the Japan Forum on International Relations, Senior Adjunct Fellow at the Japan Institute of International Affairs and Senior Researcher at the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research.
Robert, Yuka, and Takahara-sensei provide a historical overview of the Japan-China diplomatic relationship since its normalisation, analyse the current state of bilateral relations between the two and offer their perspectives on the future of Sino-Japanese ties going forward.
Topics discussed include:
- The key turning points in the last five decades
- Japan and China’s public and government level perceptions of each other
- Potential channels for cooperation between the neighbouring states
- Former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo’s legacy in Japan-China relations
- How Japan effectively manages its inherently contradictory relationship with China
The following literature is recommended by our guest to gain a clearer picture of Japan and Japanese society today:
- Our guest recommends listeners browse through major Japanese newspapers over the course of a week to gain a better sense of the pulse of contemporary Japanese politics and society
We hope you enjoy the episode and please follow, rate, and subscribe to Japan Memo on the podcast platform of your choice.
Date of Recording: 31 August 2022
Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Japan and the Pacific Islands countries with Professor Koga Kei, Shiozawa Hideyuki and Euan Graham
Japan Memo
08/15/24 • 42 min
Robert Ward hosts Professor Koga Kei, Associate Professor at Nanyang Technological University, Shiozawa Hideyuki, Senior Program Officer at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, and Euan Graham, Senior Analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.
Robert, Kei, Hideyuki and Euan discuss:
- Japan’s strategic approach to the Pacific Island countries
- China’s growing influence in the region
- Australia and its allies’ strategic objectives in the region
- Outlook of Japan and its allies’ approach to the region amid US-China rivalry
The following books are recommended by our guests to gain a clearer picture of the topics discussed:
- Euan Graham, Australia's Security in China's Shadow, (Abingdon: Routledge for the IISS, 2023), 232pp.
- Yamamoto Syūgoro, 日日平安 [Hibi Heian], (Tokyo: Shinchōsha, 1965), 480pp.
- Yamamoto Tsunetomo, translated by William Scott Wilson, 葉隠 [Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai], (Boulder: Shambhala Publications Inc, 2012), 200pp. The original book was written around 1716.
- Koga Kei and Katada Saori, Japan as a Liminal Power: Evolving Grand Strategies from Meiji to Reiwa (coming soon).
- Andrew Oros, Asia's Growing Security Strategies of America's Ageing Allies, Adversaries and Partners (coming soon).
We hope you enjoy the episode and please follow, rate, and subscribe to Japan Memo on your podcast platform of choice. If you have any comments or questions, please contact us at [email protected].
Date recorded: 31 July 2024
Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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FAQ
How many episodes does Japan Memo have?
Japan Memo currently has 39 episodes available.
What topics does Japan Memo cover?
The podcast is about News, Japan, International Relations, Podcasts, Business and Politics.
What is the most popular episode on Japan Memo?
The episode title 'Japan and the Russia-Ukraine War with Professor Higashino Atsuko, Professor James D.J. Brown and Dr Nigel Gould-Davies' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Japan Memo?
The average episode length on Japan Memo is 39 minutes.
How often are episodes of Japan Memo released?
Episodes of Japan Memo are typically released every 28 days, 10 hours.
When was the first episode of Japan Memo?
The first episode of Japan Memo was released on Jul 1, 2021.
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