The US-Japan relationship is in a period of volatile political leadership transitions in both countries. It remains to be seen how the shifts in US domestic and foreign policies and the dissolution of the long-standing ruling coalition in Japan will impact the bilateral relationship.
Can US-Japan relations survive the current turmoil, and if so, how? What are the regional and global implications of the domestic political developments in the two countries? This event will address these and other questions in a conversation featuring Professor Gerald L. Curtis, Burgess Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Columbia University and a founding member of JCIE USA. With Jake Schlesinger, President and CEO of the United States-Japan Foundation, as a moderator and Dr. Charles E. Morrison, Senior Fellow, East-West Center, as a discussant, the discussion will seek to define a path forward for US-Japan relations, including the roles that lawmakers, corporations, NGOs, and others can play during challenging times.
EVENT DETAILS
Date: Monday, November 17, 2025
Time: 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM EDT (11:30- registration & lunch)
Location: Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice (320 E 43rd St, New York, NY 10017)
PROGRAM
11:30 Doors open; Registration & Lunch
and Jake Schlesinger as moderator
13:15 Q&A with Audience
13:35 Closing Remarks
Peggy Blumenthal
Chair, JCIE USA Board of Trustees
13:40 Networking
14:00 Adjourn
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Gerald L. Curtis is Burgess Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Columbia University, Senior Research Scholar and Director of Columbia’s Japan Research Program, Chairman of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation, and Distinguished Research Fellow at the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research. He served as Director of Columbia University’s Weatherhead East Asian Institute for a total of twelve years. Read the full bio here.
Jacob M. Schlesinger is president and CEO of the United States-Japan Foundation, an organization that gives grants and runs a fellowship program dedicated to bolstering relations between the two countries. He joined the USJF from The Wall Street Journal, where he worked for more than 30 years as a reporter and editor in Washington, D.C., Tokyo, and Detroit. Read the full bio here.
Charles E. Morrison (virtual participation) has held several positions at the East- West Center, including president from August 1, 1998 through December 30, 2016. In these capacities he has had extensive involvement in the conceptualization, organization and funding of multilateral, policy-oriented education, research and dialogue projects. He is a strong advocate of the concept of Asia Pacific community. Read the full bio here.
