This episode of The IR thinker explores the deepening strategic partnership between Japan and the Philippines with Dr Satoru Nagao, tracing the evolution from post-war reparations to a mature security and economic relationship in today’s Indo-Pacific. The conversation examines how Tokyo’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific vision is understood in Manila, why the Philippines is not part of the Quad, and whether Japan is doing enough on defence cooperation in the face of shared challenges such as North Korean missiles and Chinese assertiveness. We unpack the significance of the Reciprocal Access Agreement, Japan’s economic role and “new capitalism” in the Philippine context, the security implications of Japanese radar grants, and the dynamics of Japan–US–Philippines trilateral ties, before turning to what is often overlooked in this relationship and where future research on Japan–Philippines cooperation should be heading.

Satoru Nagao

Dr Satoru Nagao is a non-resident fellow at the Hudson Institute and a leading expert on Indo-Pacific security. He holds a PhD from Gakushuin University and has advised Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defence, as well as holding research positions at prominent strategic institutes in Japan, the United States, India and Sri Lanka. His work focuses on defence cooperation, maritime security and emerging strategic partnerships across the Indo-Pacific, with particular attention to how regional actors such as Japan and the Philippines respond to shifting great-power competition.

Publications:

Strategies for the Indo-Pacific: Perceptions of the U.S. and Like-Minded Countries

America Is on the Road to Win in the Competition with China. What Should the Quad Do?

What Should India Do Now to Fight China’s Provocations?

India, Japan, and the Dragon’s Fire: Making the Quad Work

Japan’s Bold Steps to Emerge as Main Security Provider in Indo-Pacific Region amid China’s Expansionism

Three legacies left by former PM Abe: What comes next?

Content

00:00 – Introduction

01:59 – From War to Partnership: The Legacy of Reparations

05:30 – Japan’s Indo-Pacific Vision: What It Means for Manila

17:41 – Why Isn’t the Philippines in the QUAD?

20:21 – Defence Ties: Is Japan Doing Enough?

25:59 – North Korea’s Missiles: A Shared Security Challenge

30:56 – What the Reciprocal Access Agreement Really Means

36:00 – Japan’s Economic Power in the Philippines

38:32 – New Capitalism vs. Inclusive Growth

42:18 – Radar Grants and Regional Security

45:26 – Trilateral Ties: Japan, US & the Philippines under Trump

48:45 – What Everyone Overlooks in Japan–Philippines Cooperation

51:58 – Underresearched: Future Directions for Scholars

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