On November 3, the inaugural session of JCIE/USA’s Executive Roundtable series was held online. JCIE/USA board member Gerald L. Curtis, professor emeritus of political science at Columbia University, served as the featured speaker, and Minister Koichi Ai, who is minister and head of chancery at the Embassy of Japan in the US as well as an associate at the Program on US-Japan Relations, Harvard University, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, served as a discussant.
The Japanese election on October 31 resulted in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) winning the majority and maintaining its position as the ruling party of the House of Representatives, supported by its coalition party, the Komeito. The election, which was also considered a test of Japanese voters’ confidence in an LDP with Prime Minister Kishida as its face, also endorsed Prime Minister Kishida to continue to lead the country.
The two speakers addressed the implications of these results, including the outlook for Japan’s political leadership and US-Japan relations under Prime Minister Kishida.
FEATURED SPEAKER
GERALD L. CURTIS, Burgess Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Columbia University; Chairman, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation; Distinguished Research Fellow, Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research; Member of the Board of Directors, Japan Society; Core Faculty, Center on JapaneseEconomy and Business, Columbia Business School; Board Member, Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE/USA)
COMMENTATOR/DISCUSSANT
KOICHI AI, Minister and Head of Chancery, Embassy of Japan in the United States of America; Associate, Program on U.S.-Japan Relations, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University
