Japan

Japan

Japan, as a longtime ally of the United States, plays an essential role in maintaining regional stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. As the strategic landscape of the Indo-Pacific continues to shift, both the United States and Japan are working closely to maintain regional security, economic, and democratic development. As Japan works to further define its regional role, it faces both challenges and opportunities to work with the United States on issues such as energy, emerging technology, infrastructure, and more.

Experts react: The September 2021 White House QUAD meeting

New Atlanticist Oct 31, 2025

How will Japan’s ‘Iron Lady’ approach foreign policy?

By Kyoko Imai

While new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is a protégé of the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, she will need to chart her own course for Tokyo in a changed world.
East Asia Indo-Pacific
Experts react: The September 2021 White House QUAD meeting

New Atlanticist Sep 22, 2025

Why has Japan deployed fighter jets to NATO bases in the US, Canada, and Europe?

By Atlantic Council experts

As part of Operation Atlantic Eagles, Tokyo has sent four F-15 fighter jets and four additional military aircraft to the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany.
Germany Japan
Experts react: The September 2021 White House QUAD meeting

Issue Brief Aug 15, 2025

The future of US and Japanese engagement with Central Asia

By Kyoko Imai

Situated between China and Russia, and with an abundance of vital natural resources, Central Asia is an area of strategic interest for Tokyo and Washington. Beijing and Moscow currently enjoy overwhelming political, economic, and cultural influence, which limits other countries’ ability to constructively shape the region. Some friction has emerged between the two authoritarian powers as post-Soviet dominance over Central Asia erodes and Chinese economic influence takes its place.
Central Asia China

Projects

Close up of tiger

The Tiger Project: War and deterrence in the Indo-Pacific

Explore the Atlantic Council’s work on current and enduring defense and deterrence issues in the Indo-Pacific, featuring expert commentary, multimedia content, and in-depth analysis.

Explore the programs

The Indo-Pacific Security Initiative (IPSI) informs and shapes the strategies, plans, and policies of the United States and its allies and partners to address the most important rising security challenges in the Indo-Pacific, including China’s growing threat to the international order and North Korea’s destabilizing nuclear weapons advancements. IPSI produces innovative analysis, conducts tabletop exercises, hosts public and private convenings, and engages with US, allied, and partner governments, militaries, media, other key private and public-sector stakeholders, and publics.

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Content

Uncategorized

Sep 22, 2021

Experts react: The September 2021 White House QUAD meeting

By Atlantic Council

US President Joe Biden is set to host a first in-person Quad meeting on September 24, 2021, with Australia, India, and Japan present. South Asia Center experts react to the meeting and offer insight into what to expect. 

Australia Indo-Pacific

SouthAsiaSource

Sep 21, 2021

A reinvigorated Quad is becoming a key element of the new US administration’s Asia policy—just not in the way you expected.

By Atman Trivedi

A reinvigorated Quad is becoming a key element of the new US administration’s Asia policy. Its members—Australia, India, Japan, and the US—convened virtually in March at the leader level. Amid multiple global crises, they wisely opted to focus on concrete ways to deliver for their people and the region. The grouping sought to prove that democracy still works, as President Biden likes to say. The Quad Leaders’ communique set the bar high: cooperation on “the defining challenges of our time.”

Indo-Pacific Japan

Issue Brief

Jul 28, 2021

The security of defense trade with allies: Enhancing contact, contracts, and control in supply chains

By James Hasik

The COVID-19 pandemic and a wave of "Buy American" policies have cast doubt on the ability of foreign suppliers to provide crucial defense goods and services to the US Department of Defense in times of crisis or conflict. Forward Defense Nonresident Senior Fellow James Hasik recommends the expansion of security of supply agreements (among other measures) to fully leverage the defense-industrial bases of US allies and partners and best support US security priorities.

Defense Industry Defense Policy

Fast Thinking

Jul 19, 2021

FAST THINKING: A turning point on Chinese hacking

By Atlantic Council

What does NATO’s buy-in mean for the world’s response to Chinese hacking? What tools do these allies have to fight back? Our experts messaged us (securely) with the answers.

Australia China

New Atlanticist

Jun 14, 2021

MARKUP: Our experts annotate the G7 communiqué

By Julia Friedlander, Ash Jain, Rama Yade, David Bray, Benjamin Haddad, Josh Lipsky

How can you dig through 14,000 words of diplomat-speak to find what these world leaders are really saying? Leave that to the Atlantic Council’s experts.

Economy & Business France

In the News

Jun 11, 2021

Jain in the Hill: Biden needs a D-10 to rally democracies

By Atlantic Council

On Friday, June 11, The Hill published an op-ed by Scowcroft Center senior fellow Ash Jain and former State Department policy planning director David Gordon, in which they argue the United States should rally its democratic allies into a D-10 of leading democracies.

China International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Jun 9, 2021

IN BRIEF: Why the G7 summit matters, in seven charts

By GeoEconomics Center

The G7 is meeting in person for the first time since the pandemic began. The GeoEconomics Center explains the top seven issues on the agenda and why they matter.

Economy & Business Fiscal and Structural Reform

Report

Jun 8, 2021

From the G7 to a D-10: Strengthening democratic cooperation for today’s challenges

By Ash Jain and Matthew Kroenig

With the rules-based democratic order under threat, leading democracies need to develop common strategic approaches that pool their collective influence to confront today’s challenges.

Australia Economy & Business

In-Depth Research & Reports

May 27, 2021

Enhancing US-Japan cooperation on global supply chains

By Miyeon Oh, James Hildebrand

Mounting US-China tensions and the COVID-19 pandemic have led to growing calls in the United States and among its allies and partners, including Japan, to address the vulnerabilities in global supply chains critical to national security and economic competitiveness.

Defense Industry Defense Technologies

Blog Post

May 21, 2021

The mythology of a rising Asia…and how America can make a difference

By Vasuki Shastry

The mythology of a rising Asia is not entirely accurate. This is because much of the regional economic growth has been accompanied by worsening social outcomes. However, as the Biden administration asserts a renewed US focus on the region, these worsening social outcomes provide a strong opportunity for engagement.

China East Asia
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Experts

Fellow

Naoto Obayashi

Visiting Fellow

Freedom and Prosperity Center

East Asia English

Fellow

Kayla T. Orta

Nonresident Fellow

Indo-Pacific Security Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Arms Control East Asia

Fellow

Marvin J. Park

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Indo-Pacific Security Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

China Defense Policy
David Phillips, nonresident fellow, Indo-Pacific Security Initiative

Fellow

David Phillips

Nonresident Fellow

Indo-Pacific Security Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Australia East Asia

Staff

Audrey Roh

Program Assistant

Indo-Pacific Security Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Cybersecurity Japan

Fellow

Darrell Smith

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Indo-Pacific Security Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Defense Policy East Asia
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