Japan’s new national-security documents with Professor Kanehara Nobukatsu

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.

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