Ahead of the election of the next president of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on September 27 to become the next Prime Minister, JCIE/USA hosted a private roundtable discussion gathering approximately 40 participants. The guests included alumni of the Congressional Staff Exchange program, as well as leaders from think tanks, private sector businesses, Japan-focused non-profits, government agencies, universities, and the news media.

The event featured The Honorable Yasuhisa Shiozaki, former member of the Japanese national Diet and the LDP on the occasion of his visit to New York during the UN General Assembly. Mr. Shiozaki was joined by another guest speaker, David Boling, Director, Japan & Asian Trade, Eurasia Group. The discussion was facilitated by Kazuyo Kato, Executive Director of JCIE/USA.

JCIE/USA hosted the event as an opportunity to reflect on the candidates, unique aspects of the race, key challenges awaiting the next leader of Japan, and implications for the future of Japanese politics and US-Japan relations. The discussion was held under Chatham House rules.