On October 15, Waseda University invited a group of young American researchers from the National Economists Club, the Heritage Foundation, and the Congressional Research Service to attend a series of lectures and discussions on national security, economics, and energy policy. The event was sponsored by the Kakehashi Project, a fully funded, large-scale youth exchange program between Japan and the United States promoted by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). The program aims to promote understanding of Japanese diplomatic relations, government, and history, and encourage attendees to communicate the strengths and charms of Japan in their home countries. Earlier this May, Waseda hosted a group of 50 students from the University of Columbia as part of the same project.
Following a tour of campus, the group of young researchers attended a lecture and discussion with Professor Masahiko Gemma (Faculty of Social Sciences) on energy and environmental policy. Professor Gemma presented an overview of Japan’s geography, and government and regulatory systems, moving on to discuss his study of water conservation and recent trends in energy conservation and alternative energy resources. Discussion with the American researchers spanned a wide range of topics, including factors driving improvements in vehicle fuel economy, exported energy-conserving products, potential winners and losers of the recent TPP agreement, long-term energy planning, and more.
The second lecture was from Professor Shuhei Kurizaki (Faculty of Political Science and Economics) who presented an overview and history of Japan’s national security policies, and traced the government’s transition from the “Yoshida Doctrine” of early postwar Japan to the “Abe Doctrine” of today. Professor Kurizaki discussed with his audience the potential threats to Japan’s national security, the government’s stance towards said threats, and the potential economic effects of implementing more aggressive security policies.
The final speaker was Hideki Yamaji, Senior Coordinator of the MOFA First North American Division. Yamaji dove deeper into the topics of foreign policy and national security, and presented a series of government policies for adapting to the present geopolitical climate. Yamaji’s audience enthusiastically participated, asking questions about public opinion, potential economic effects, and more.
