Japan’s Foreign Policy and Global Health Diet Roundtable Series
JCIE launched the “Global Health Diet Roundtable” series in 2018, followed by the “Japan’s Foreign Policy and Global Health Diet Roundtable” series in December 2023, as part of its Global Health and Human Security Program. The aim of these two series is to bring together a bipartisan assortment of Japanese parliamentarians and deepen their understanding of global health issues so that they can play a leadership role in the global health field.
Expanding Support for Democratic Governance
In 2018, JCIE launched a multi-pronged initiative to explore and expand Japan’s support for democratic governance based on the values of liberty, accountability, the rule of law, and individual dignity and empowerment. The initiative is designed to engage Japanese leaders in dialogue with domestic and overseas experts on strengthening the building blocks of democratic governance in Asia and elsewhere.
Japan–South Korea Immigration Policy Exchange Program
Japan and South Korea are facing rapid increases in immigration, leading to the development of more multicultural and multiethnic societies. In November 2017, JCIE began a two-year program aiming to facilitate the exchange of opinions on societal and governmental policy proposals to empower immigrants living in both countries.
Roundtable on Japan’s Migration Policy
In the fall of 2018, JCIE launched a new roundtable to discuss Japan’s immigration policy. The project’s 25 members include national and municipal policymakers, business leaders, experts from NPOs, academics, and foreign residents.
Learning from Disaster Responses
On March 11, 2011, a devastating earthquake and tsunami struck Japan’s Tohoku region, triggering a nuclear meltdown in Fukushima. JCIE supported the international response by serving as a bridge between overseas donors and Japanese groups working in the disaster zone, facilitating coordination among American and Japanese humanitarian organizations, and disseminating information and analysis to support and connect responders.
Facilitating Philanthropy Program
The US-Japan Philanthropy Initiative handles charitable donations from US-based individuals and corporations in the manner of a donor-advised fund, accepting recommendations about organizations the donor prefers to support, then conducting due diligence to decide whether to make a grant to the suggested organization or others that advance the aims of the donation.
US-Japan Philanthropy Initiative
Through the US-Japan Philanthropy Initiative, JCIE/USA helps facilitate charitable giving from donors in one country to innovative organizations in the other that are working to improve society and/or strengthen international relations.
Survey on Multiculturalism and Accepting Foreigners
JCIE conducted a survey of local Japanese governments as part of the Population Decline and a Vision for Accepting Foreigners into Japan Project.
Diet Women’s Study Group
In 2019, as part of its program on Empowering Women Leaders, JCIE launched a nonpartisan Diet study group to deepen women legislators’ understanding of critical policy challenges. In the initial year, 13 Diet members, chaired by Representative Seiko Noda, are meeting seven times through March 2020, once every month or two, for discussions with leading experts from Japan and abroad.
NGOs as Strategic Partners
JCIE conducted a series of studies and exchanges to examine the lessons that Japanese NGOs can draw from the US experience to expand their capacity and better engage in partnerships. As part of this project, a delegation of Japanese NGO leaders visited Washington DC for meetings with NGO leaders, government officials, and policy experts, and a major conference was held at the National Diet of Japan to discuss ways to strengthen NGO capacity.