What Lies Ahead for Japan and the United States

During Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s recent visit to Washington, DC, he announced that “Japan is back.” Meanwhile, the Obama administration is emphasizing a “rebalancing” of its global posture toward the Asia-Pacific region.

On March 22, the Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies (CNAPS) at Brookings hosted an address by H.E. Kenichiro Sasae, ambassador of Japan to the United States. Following the productive summit meeting between Prime Minister Abe and President Obama last month, Ambassador Sasae discussed the roles of the two countries in shaping the regional order in East Asia and how they may strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance. Senior Fellow Richard Bush, director of CNAPS, provided introductory remarks. Senior Fellow Mireya Solís, the Philip Knight Chair in Japan Studies, moderated the discussion.