Japan Memo

Robert Ward hosts Goto Shihoko, Senior Fellow for Indo-Pacific Affairs at the Mansfield Foundation, and Eto Naoko, Professor at Gakushuin University and Senior Fellow at the Institute of Geoeconomics, for a timely discussion on Japan–US–China economic relations.. Together, they explore: ·        US-China competition and its implications for Japan’s economic strategy·        Japan-China dynamics in rare earths supply chains and technology competition·        Japan’s balancing act between economic engagement with China and its alliance commitments with the US·        The potential implications of upcoming major diplomatic events, including US diplomacy on China. Recommended readings from our guests: ·        Kokubun Ryosei, Japan-China Relations through the Lens of Chinese Politics (Tokyo: JPIC International, 2021), 326pp.·        Richard Katz, The Contest for Japan's Economic Future: Entrepreneurs vs Corporate Giants (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2024), 356pp.·        Jeffrey Ding, Technology and the Rise of Great Powers: How Diffusion Shapes Economic Competition, (Prinston: Princeton University Press, 2024), 320pp.We hope you enjoy the episode. Please follow, rate, and subscribe to Japan Memo on your preferred podcast platform. If you have any comments or questions, please contact us at japanchair@iiss.org. Date recorded: 5 September 2025Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Ward hosts Dr Chijiwa Yasuaki, Chief, International Conflict Division, National Institute for Defence Studies (NIDS), Ministry of Defence, Dr Jennifer Lind, Associate Professor in the Department of Government at Dartmouth, and Dr Sayuri Romei, Senior Fellow in the German Marshall Fund, GMF, Indo-Pacific Program. They discuss the evolution of Japan's post-war defence policy in light of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.  Robert, Yasuaki, Jennifer and Sayuri discuss:  Evolution of Japan’s defence policy — shift from post-war defensive defence doctrine to recent adoption of counter-strike capability, expanded defence budget and multi-domain defence forceRole of external environment and alliances — China’s rise, North Korea’s threat, Russia’s actions and shifting US commitments shaping Japan’s security trajectoryDomestic politics and public opinion — gradual change in attitudes, reduced resistance to defence reforms and evolving consensus on stronger defence postureUS-Japan alliance deepening — institutional developments, interoperability improvements, establishment of joint command structures, people-to-people ties strengthening alliance foundationsWe 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 japanchair@iiss.org. Date recorded: 6 August 2025 Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Ward hosts Sakata Yasuyo, Professor of International Relations at Kanda University, Victor Cha, President of the Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department and Korea Chair at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and Jung-Hoon Lee, Dean and Professor of International Relations at the Graduate School of International Studies at Yonsei University. They discuss Japan–South Korea relations in light of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic normalisation.  Robert, Yasuyo, Victor and Jung-Hoon discuss:  Evolution of Relations: From diplomatic normalisation in 1965 to people-to-people and civil society engagement, especially post-1998Japan–South Korea–US trilateral alignment, institutional frameworks, and strategic consultation, notably the 2023 Camp David SummitFuture Prospects and Domestic Pressures: Economic strain, shifting public sentiment towards China, and cautious optimism in bilateral cooperationThe following books are recommended by our guests to gain a clearer picture of the topics discussed: Victor Cha, Alignment Despite Antagonism: The United States-Korea-Japan Security Triangle, (California: Stanford University Press, 1990), 376pp. Victor Cha, Powerplay: The Origins of the American Alliance System in Asia, (New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2016), 352pp. Victor Cha and Ramon Pacheco Pardo, Korea: A New History of South and North, (Connecticut: Yale University Press, 2024), 320pp.Chong-Sik Lee, Japan and Korea: The Political Dimension, (California: Hoover Institution Press, 1985), 234pp. Brad Glosserman and Scott A. Snyder, The Japan–South Korea Identity Clash: East Asian Security and the United States, (New York: Columbia University Press, 2015), 240pp. 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 japanchair@iiss.org.  Date recorded: 30 June 2025  Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special edition of Japan Memo Season 5, Robert Ward reports from Singapore on the 22nd IISS Shangri-La Dialogue. Joining him is Professor Jimbo Ken, Managing Director of the International House of Japan, President of the Asia Pacific Initiative, and Professor at Keio University’s Faculty of Policy Management. They deliver timely and in-depth analysis of this year’s key developments and strategic narratives. Robert and Professor Jimbo discuss: ·        Major themes and takeaways from the 2025 Dialogue and how it compares with previous years·        Key messages from US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s speech·        Regional perspectives on China’s activities and strategic posture·        Analysis of Japanese Defense Minister Nakatani Gen’s address·        ASEAN’s evolving role in an increasingly contested regional orderWe 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 japanchair@iiss.org. Date recorded: 1 June 2025 This episode of Japan Memo was recorded in Singapore and produced at the IISS in London.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Ward hosts Professor Hosoya Yuichi, Professor of International Politics at Keio University, Professor Yee Kuang Heng, Professor at the Graduate School of Public Policy and Director of the Security Studies Unit at the Institute for Future Initiatives at the University of Tokyo, and Fenella McGerty, the IISS Senior Fellow for defence economics in the Defence and Military Analysis Programme. They discuss Japan-UK relations.   Robert, Yuichi, Yee Kuang and Fenella discuss:  Japan-UK diplomatic alignment, amid the UK’s tilt towards the Indo-PacificJapan-UK defence partnership, including the GCAP, the UK CSG deployment to the Indo-PacificJapan-UK economic cooperation, including the bilateral economic 2+2, the UK accession to the CPTTPWe 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 japanchair@iiss.org.  Date recorded: 6 May 2025  Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Ward hosts Dr Bart Gaens, Senior Research Fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs and Japan Chair at the International Centre for Defence and Security, Tatsumi Yuki, Senior Fellow at the Stimson Center, and Dr Alice Dell’Era, Assistant Professor at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. They discuss Japan’s role in Indo-Pacific minilateralism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Ward hosts Professor Takahara Akio, Emeritus Professor of The University of Tokyo, Dr Elizabeth Wishnick, Senior Research Scientist at the Centre for Naval Analyses (CNA) and Dr Catherine Jones, a Lecturer at the University of St Andrews, to explore Japan’s challenges amid growing cooperation between Russia and China.   Robert, Akio, Elizabeth and Catherine discuss:   The recent development of the Russia-China strategic partnership in the Ukraine war The limitations of the Sino-Russian relationship and the potential overlap of their interests  Japan’s security, economy and energy challenges amid growing Sino-Russian aligment   The following books are recommended by our guests to gain a clearer picture of the topics discussed:    Takahara Akio and et al., Japan–China Relations in the Modern Era, (Abingdon: Routledge, 2017), 250pp. Takahara Akio and et al., Nicchū kankei 2001-2022 [Japan-China Relations 2001-2022], (Tokyo: The University of Tokyo Press, 2023), 432pp.  Charles E. Ziegler, Russia in the Pacific: The Quest for Great Power Recognition, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2024), 296pp.  Gaye Christoffersen, Russia in the Indo-Pacific: New Approaches to Russian Foreign Policy, (Abingdon: Routledge, 2022), 298pp. Endo Shusaku, Chinmoku [Silence], (Tokyo: Shinchosha, 1981), 320pp. Endo Shusaku, The Samurai, (Tokyo: Shinchosha, 1986), 520pp.  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 japanchair@iiss.org.    Date recorded: 17 February 2025   Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Ward hosts Professor Suzuki Kazuto, Professor at the Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Tokyo, and Dr Elli-Katharina Pohlkamp, Director at Agora Strategy Group, to explore Japan’s economic security policy.  Robert, Professor Suzuki and Dr Pohlkamp discuss: Recent developments in Japan’s economic security strategyThe European perspective on Japan’s economic security policyKey differences between Japan and Europe’s economic security approachesThe future of Japan-China economic relations The following books are recommended by our guests to gain a clearer picture of the topics discussed:  Aoyama Michiko, What You Are Looking for Is in the Library, (New York: Doubleday, 2023), 256pp. Okamoto Yukio, Japan and the United States: The Journey of a Defeated Nation - A Diplomat’s Memoir by Yukio Okamoto, (Vermont: Tuttle Publishing), 388pp.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 japanchair@iiss.org. Date recorded: 30 January 2025 Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Ward hosts Dr Sheila Smith, Senior Fellow for Asia-Pacific studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), and Dr Jeffrey Hornung, the Japan Lead for the RAND National Security Research Division.    Robert, Sheila and Jeffrey discuss:   Japan’s strategic landscape under Trump 2.0, including insights for PM Ishiba from Abe’s successful approach Japan’s defence policy challenges under Trump 2.0, including potential US demands for increased financial contributions to the security alliance. The future of minilateral security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific under Trump 2.0, notably QUAD and AUKUS The following books are recommended by our guests to gain a clearer picture of the topics discussed:   Abe Shinzo, Abe Shinzo Kaiko Roku [Abe Shinzo Memoir] (Tokyo: Chuokoron-Shinsha, Inc., 2023), 480pp. Funabashi Yoichi, Shukumei no Ko Volume 1: Abe Shinzou Seiken Kuronikuru [Destiny Child on Abe Shinzo Administration Chronicles Volume 1] (Tokyo: Bungeishunju Ltd., 2024), 560pp. Funabashi Yoichi, Shukumei no Ko Volume 2: Abe Shinzou Seiken Kuronikuru [Destiny Child on Abe Shinzo Administration Chronicles Volume 2] (Tokyo: Bungeishunju Ltd., 2024), 640pp. John W Dower, Embracing Defeat – Japan in the Wake of World War II, (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2000), 688pp.  Nakae Chomin, A Discourse by Three Drunkards on Government, (Tokyo: Weatherhill Inc., 1992), 144pp.   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 japanchair@iiss.org.    Date recorded: 4 December 2024   Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Ward is joined by Bill Emmott, Chairman of the IISS Trustees, Murano Masashi, a senior fellow with Hudson Institute’s Japan Chair, and Dr Baldauff Nanae, Non-Resident Senior Associate Fellow at the NATO Defense College to discuss Japan and deterrence.  Robert, Bill, Masashi and Nanae discuss:  ·        The strategic definition of deterrence, from what it entails to how it works·        Nuclear deterrence, including Japan’s strategy amid the nuclear arms race in East Asia·        Integrated deterrence, including Japan’s efforts to deepen and integrate operations with allies and partnersWe 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 japanchair@iiss.org.  Date recorded: 31 October 2024  Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 japanchair@iiss.org. 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.

Robert Ward hosts Dr Matsuda Takuya, Adjunct Lecturer at Aoyama Gakuin University, Dr Vida Macikenaite, Assistant Professor at the Graduate School of International Relations of the International University of Japan, and Dr Wrenn Yennie Lindgren, Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Centre for Asian Research at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs.  Robert, Takuya, Vida and Wrenn discuss:  The recent development of Japan’s relationship with the Nordic and Baltic statesJapan’s security cooperation with the Nordic and Baltic states from defense equipment to cyber securityThe Nordic and Baltic approach to authoritarian powers, including their eyes on the potential cooperation between Russia and China in the High NorthThe similarities and differences in the security architecture of the Euro-Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific regions  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 japanchair@iiss.org.  Date recorded: 6 September 2024  Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 countriesChina’s growing influence in the regionAustralia and its allies’ strategic objectives in the regionOutlook 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 japanchair@iiss.org. 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.

Robert Ward hosts Richard J Samuels, Ford International Professor of Political Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Kotani Ken, Professor at Nihon University in Japan, and Hosaka Sanshiro, Research Fellow at the International Centre for Defence and Security and PhD student at the University of Tartu.   Robert, Richard, Ken and Sanshiro discuss:  The history of Japanese intelligence agencies Japan’s current intelligence capabilities Intelligence threats faced by Japan and the West Outlook of intelligence operations  The following books are recommended by our guests to gain a clearer picture of the topics discussed:  Tessa Morris-Suzuki, Exodus to North Korea: Shadows from Japan's Cold War, (Lanham, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2007), 302pp. John W. Dower, Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II, (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2000), 688pp. Kotani Ken, 日本インテリジェンス史：旧日本軍から公安、内調、ＮＳＣまで [Nihon Intelligence Shi: Kyu-nihongun Kara Kōan, Naichō, NSC Made], (Tokyo: Chuo Koron Shinsha, 2022), 296pp. Michael S. Molasky, 呑めば、都─居酒屋の東京 [Nomeba Miyako – Izakaya No Tokyo], (Tokyo: Chikuma Shobō, 2016), 400pp.  Richard J. Samuels, Special Duty: A History of the Japanese Intelligence Community, (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2019), 384pp. 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 japanchair@iiss.org.  Date recorded: 21 June 2024  Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 japanchair@iiss.org.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.

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 KoreaNorth Korea’s strategy for its advancing missile and nuclear capabilitiesThe development of Japan’s counterstrike capabilities and the challenges they faceImplications for Japan of the strategic cooperation between North Korea, China and RussiaWe 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 japanchair@iiss.org or visit our website The International Institute for Strategic Studies (iiss.org)Date recorded: 26 April 2024Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Ward hosts Alessio Patalano, Professor of War & Strategy in East Asia at the Department of War Studies, King’s College London, Veerle Nouwens, the Executive Director of IISS-Asia, and Nick Childs, the IISS Senior Fellow for Naval Forces and Maritime Security. Robert, Alessio, Veerle, and Nick discuss Japan’s maritime security policy in the Indo-Pacific. Topics discussed include: Japan’s positioning of maritime security policy in relation to other domains; China’s perspective on Japan’s growing maritime capabilities; Japan’s strategic navigation between different layers of partnerships; The impact of Trump’s possible re-election on Japan’s maritime security policy. 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 japanchair@iiss.org. Date recorded: 04 April 2024 Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the second episode of Japan Memo season 4, Robert Ward hosts Higashino Atsuko, a Professor at the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Tsukuba, James Brown, a Professor of political science at Temple University, Japan campus, and Dr Nigel Gould-Davies, the IISS Senior Fellow for Russia and Eurasia. Robert, Atsuko, James and Nigel discuss Japan and the Russia-Ukraine war.Topics discussed include: Japan’s response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine over the past two years; Japan's possible military aid to Ukraine amid growing aid fatigue among Western allies; Japan’s unflagging support for post-war rebuilding to Ukraine in the wake of the bilateral reconstruction conference in February 2024; Japan’s defence and energy policy amid rising security and geopolitical tensions with Russia  The following books are recommended by our guests to gain a clearer picture of the topics discussed: Kanji Akagi, Kokusaianzenhoshou ga wakeru gaidobuku, (Japan Association for International Security, 2024), 288 pp. Mazower Mark, Dark Continent: Europe’s Twentieth Century, (Penguin Group, 1999), 512 pp. Muminov Sherzod, Eleven Winters of Discontent: The Siberian Internment and the Making of a New Japan, (Harvard University Press, 2022), 384 pp. Ryunosuke Akutagawa, Rashomon, (KADOKAWA, 1950)   We hope you enjoy the episode and please follow, rate, and subscribe to Japan Memo on the podcast platform of your choice. If you have any comments or questions, please contact us at japanchair@iiss.org.  Date of Recording: 1 March 2024 Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert, Professor Sato, Aaron, and Evan discuss Japan’s relationship with ASEAN. Topics discussed include: Japan’s shifting diplomatic and economic relationship with ASEAN amid the rapid growth of ASEAN countries; Japan-ASEAN security relationship in the increasingly complicated geopolitical landscape in the region; Japan’s defence policy in ASEAN amid rising competition between the US and China; ASEAN’s policy on navigating the great powers competition in the region. The episode's transcript can be found on https://www.iiss.org/podcasts/japan-memo/2024/02/japans-relationship-with-asean/The following books are recommended by our guests to gain a clearer picture of the topics discussed: Wilhelm Vosse (ed.) and Paul Midford (ed.), Japan's new security partnerships: Beyond the security alliance, (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2018), 264 pp. Sakai Hidekazu (ed.) and Sato Yoichiro (ed.), Re-rising Japan: Its Strategic Power in International Relations, (New York: Peter Lang Publishing, 2018), 264 pp. Danny Orbach, Curse on This Country: The Rebellious Army of Imperial Japan, (New York: Cornell University Press, 2017), 384 pp. Robert Ward and Yuka Koshino, Japan’s Effectiveness as a Geo-Economic Actor: Navigating Great-Power Competition, (London: Routledge, 2022), 168 pp. Gerald L Curtis, The Logic of Japanese Politics: Leaders, Institutions, and the Limits of Change, (New York: Columbia University Press, 1999), 336 pp. We hope you enjoy the episode and please follow, rate, and subscribe to Japan Memo on the podcast platform of your choice. If you have any comments or questions, please contact us at japanchair@iiss.org. Date of Recording: 31 January 2024 Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the twelfth episode of Japan Memo Season 3, Robert Ward and Yuka Koshino host Professor Taniguchi Tomohiko, a Visiting Professor at Takushoku University's Institute of World Studies and a Senior Fellow at the Alliance of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies and former Special Advisor to Prime Minister Abe's Cabinet and also as a Councillor in the Cabinet Secretariat (April 2013 to September 2020), where he contributed to crafting foreign policy speeches for Prime Minister Abe.Robert, Yuka, and Professor Taniguchi discuss Abe’s Grand Strategy, especially focusing on his landmark speeches.Topics discussed include:Role of diplomatic speechwriter under the Abe administrationFormer Prime Minister Abe’s grand strategy and diplomatic legaciesSignificance of former Prime Minister Abe’s diplomatic speechesAbe administration’s legacies in Japan’s foreign and defence policiesThe following individuals are recommended by our guests to gain a clearer picture of the topics discussed:Crown Prince Naruhito, translated by Sir Hugh Cortazzi, The Thames and I: A Memoir by Prince Naruhito of Two Years at Oxford (Folkestone: Renaissance Books Ltd, 2019)Geoffrey Bownas, Japanese Journeys: Writings and Reflections: Writings and Recollections (Epsom: Global Oriental; Illustrated edition, 2005)Fukuzawa Yukichi, The Autobiography of Yukichi Fukuzawa (Tokyo: Library of Japan, 2000)Ian Buruma, A Tokyo Romance (London: Atlantic Books, 2019)Christopher Ross, Mishima's Sword: Travels in Search of a Samurai Legend (London: Fourth Estate Ltd. 2006)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: 15 November 2023Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.