This year’s Tadashi Yamamoto Memorial Seminar was hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations while JCIE’s 2019 Diet delegation was visiting Washington DC. The first panel at the event featured a mix of American and Japanese experts on democratic governance and human security who discussed Japan’s potential role in supporting democratic transitions in Asia. This conversation tied in with the theme of the delegation’s visit, which was focused on exploring avenues for greater cooperation between Japan and the US on democracy assistance. Panelists considered the work Japan is already doing in the field and what the next steps might be to improve collaboration between the two countries.

The second panel featured four Japanese Diet members representing both Japan’s ruling coalition and opposition parties for a frank discussion on the state of Japanese politics and how the political situation in Japan might evolve in the coming years.