Menu
Log in

Geostrategy in the Grassroots 

In 2013, NAJAS and The Sasakawa Peace Foundation developed the concept of "Japan Update Through Japan-America Societies", to provide public affairs updates across the US. In the six years of the program from 2013 to 2019, 44 "Japan Update" programs were held in 15 cities; Atlanta, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Indianapolis, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland (Oregon), St. Louis, San Francisco, Seattle, Southern California and Washington DC. 

In 2019, SPF and NAJAS decided to partner on a new public affairs program focusing on the geostrategic challenges Japan and the US face in a changing Asia. A rising China, North Korea and the re-emergence of Russia, among others, present new challenges to both countries, at a time when the US was reconsidering its global engagement. SPF and NAJAS felt that this series was an important contribution to understanding the alliance, especially when undertaken outside Washington DC. The series involved events in five different cities, hosted by local JAS, each event composed of two recognized experts, one from each country, in discussion. We named the series "Geostrategy in the Grassroots". 

FY2023 (April 1, 2023 - March 31, 2024) was the fifth and final year of the Geostrategy in the Grassroots series. NAJAS is eager to identify other Funding Partner(s) who may be interested in continuing this broadly distributed and locally grounded exploration of momentously important global developments in a period of considerable policy (and political) flux.  Our 39-member society network is uniquely placed to convene in-person discussions on a continental scale. 

FY2023 Geostrategy in the Grassroots:

Japan Society of Boston

 Date: Friday, February 9, 2024
 Title: Economic Statecraft and Security in the Indo-Pacific: Views from Japan, US, and Southeast Asia 

 Speakers:

Dr. Kei Koga

Dr. Phillip Lipscy

Dr. William Grimes

 Videos Introduction (4:50) & Full Program (56:57)

Japan-America Society of North Carolina
 Date: Thursday, March 14, 2024
 Title: Emerging Technologies and the Indo-Pacific

 Speakers:

Dr. Takahiro Tsuchiya

James Schoff
David Robinson


Japan-America Society of Georgia
 Date: Tuesday, March 19, 2024
 Title: JA-GA Futures Forum - Geostrategy in the Grassroots: The QUAD and the Potential for Action in a Contingency

 Speakers:

Dr. Tomohiko Satake

Lisa Curtis
James Hoadley

 Video: Full Program

Japan America Society of St. Louis
 Date: Thursday, March 21, 2024
 Title: The U.S.-China Rivalry and Taiwan: The Ramifications of Japan’s New Security Strategy and U.S.-Japan Alliance

 Speakers:

Dr. Zack Cooper

Dr. Satoru Mori
Sen. Jim Talent

 Video: Full Program
Japan America Society of Chicago
 Date: Wednesday, March 27, 2024
 Title: The Trans-Atlantic Relationship and Linkages to the Indo-Pacific

 Speakers:

Dr. Yuka Koshino

Bonnie S. Glaser
Emma Chanlett-Avery

FY2022 Geostrategy in the Grassroots:

Japan-America Society of Tennessee

 Date: Thursday, March 30, 2023
 Title: Implications of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine: How the U.S. and Japan can Ensure Stability across the Taiwan Strait
 Speakers:

Masashi Murano

Zack Cooper

Andrew Wylegala


Japan-America Society of Hawaii
 Date: Wednesday, March 1, 2023
 Title: Powering to Sustainability
 Speakers:

Takakhiro Ueno

Jane Nakano

Connie Lau

Karen Knudsen

Japan Society of New Orleans

 Date: Tuesday, February 28, 2023
 Title: Geostrategic Challenges Facing the U.S. and Japan in 2023 +
 Speakers:

Masashi Murano

Dr. Ankit Panda

Peter Kelley


Japan Society of Northern California

 Date: Monday, February 27, 2023
 Title: US & Japan vs. China: Cooperation and Competition in the War for Technology Leadership
 Speakers:

Dr. Kazuto Suzuki

Amb. Kurt Tong

Larry Greenwood

 

Japan America Society of Greater Cincinnati

 Date: Wednesday, February 15, 2023
 Title: Russia/Ukraine and What it Means for Japan and the U.S. in Asia
 Speakers:

Dr. Kei Koga

Dr. Jeffrey Hornung

Joseph Dehner


Japan America Society of St. Louis

 Date: Thursday, February 9, 2023
 Title: The Implications for Japan and the US of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine: The Role of Global Institutions
 Speakers:

Dr. Kayo Takuma

Dr. Phillip Lipscy

Peter Kelley


Japan Society of Colorado

 Date: Tuesday, February 7, 2023
 Title: The U.S.-Japan Partnership in 2023: Addressing Economic & Security Challenges from China and Russia
 Speakers:

Dr. Michito Tsuruoka 

Dr. Kristy Govella

John Hayato Branderhorst


Japan America Society of Dallas/Fort Worth

 Date: Thursday, February 2, 2023
 Title: The Role of China on U.S.-Japan Relations and the Russia-Ukraine War
 Speakers:

Dr. Shinji Yamaguchi

Dr. Eric Heginbotham

Dr. Hiroki Takeuchi


FY2021 Geostrategy in the Grassroots:

Japan-America Society of Indiana

 Date: Tuesday, March 29, 2022
 Title: Strategic Choices Facing Japan and The United States in an Increasingly Uncertain World
 Speakers:

Dr. Narushige Michishita

Dr. Richard Samuels

Dr. Dyron Dabney


Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania

 Date: Wednesday, March 23, 2022
 Title: Geostrategy in the Grassroots, 2022 Strategy in Asia Pacific
 Speakers:

Dr. Ken Jimbo

Zack Cooper

Dr. John Shin

The Japan-America Society of Georgia

 Date: Tuesday, March 22, 2022
 Title: US-Japan Now: Geostrategic Implications to a Rising China
 Speakers:

Dr. Yasuhiro Matsuda

Bonnie Glaser

Yoshi Domoto


Japan Society of New Orleans

 Date: Wednesday, March 16, 2022
 Title: Security Challenges Facing the US & Japan in 2021 +
 Speakers:

Dr. Ryo Sahashi

Dr. Jennifer Lind

Peter Kelley

 

Japan-America Society of Southern Colorado

 Date: Tuesday, February 22, 2022
 Title: A Discussion on Aerospace Security: Insights from Japan's Kazuto Suzuki and USA's Todd Harrison
 Speakers:

Dr. Kazuto Suzuki

Todd Harrison

Peter Kelley


Japan-America Society of Central Ohio

 Date: Thursday, February 17, 2022
 Title: US-Japan Geostrategy Concerns in SE Asia
 Speakers:

Amb. Masafumi Ishii

Amb. David Shear

Benjamin Pachter


The Japan Society (Toronto)

 Date: Wednesday, February 16, 2022
 Title: Geostrategic Outlook for Asia 2022
 Speakers:

Dr. Shino Watanabe 

James Schoff

Peter Kelley


Japan America Society of Southern California

 Date: Thursday, February 10, 2022
 Title: Geostrategic Opportunities in East Asia: Perspectives on the U.S.-Japan-China Trilateral Relations in Times of COVID-19
 Speakers:

Dr. Akio Takahara

Dr. Sheila Smith

Dr. Saori Takada


FY2020 Geostrategy in the Grassroots:

The Japan-America Society of Georgia

 Date: Thursday, March 25, 2021
 Title: US-Japan Now: Geostrategy in a New World
 Speakers:

Koji Murata

Sheila Smith

Yoshi Domoto


Japan-America Society of Greater Austin

 Date: Wednesday, March 24, 2021
 Title: Indo-Pacific Security and Multilateral Strategic Cooperation: Past, Present and Future
 Speakers:

Nobukatsu Kanehara

David Shear

Patricia Maclachlan


Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania

 Date: Thursday, March 18, 2021
 Title: A Resilient U.S. - Japan Alliance in 2021 and Beyond
 Speakers:

Toshihiro Nakayama

Abraham Denmark

Kay Shimizu

Dyron Dabney


Japan Society of New Orleans

 Date: Thursday, March 4, 2021
 Title: Geostrategic Challenges Facing the US & Japan in 2021 +
 Speakers:

Tomohiko Satake

Richard Fontaine

Peter Kelley


Japan America Society of Greater Cincinnati

 Date: Tuesday, March 2, 2021
 Title: The Impact on Japan of Geostrategic Challenges in Asia: Two Perspectives
 Speakers:

Hiroyuki Akita

Jacob Schlesinger

Joe Dehner


Japan Society of Northern California

 Date: Monday, February 8, 2021
 Title: Japan’s Changing Role in Asia: Opportunities and Challenges
 Speakers:

Hiroyuki Akita

Thomas Berger

Robert Madsen

Larry Greenwood


Japan America Society of Michigan and Southwestern Ontario

 Date: Thursday, December 10, 2020
 Title: US-Japan-China Relations Post 2020 & Implications for the Auto Industry
 Speakers:

Yasuhiro Matsuda

Bonnie Glaser

Bernard Swiecki


Japan America Society of St. Louis

 Date: Wednesday, December 2, 2020
 Title: The Security Situation in North Asia in a Post COVID World
 Speakers:

Ken Jimbo

Randall Schriver

Jim Talent


Japan-America Society of Central Ohio

 Date: Tuesday, November 17, 2020
 Title: Geostrategy in the Grassroots
 Speakers:

Aiko Doden

Kent Calder

Peter Kelley


FY2019 Geostrategy in the Grassroots:

The Japan Society of Boston

 Date: Friday, March 6, 2020
 Title: GEOSTRATEGY IN THE GRASSROOTS
 Speakers:

Takako Hikotani

Mireya Solis

Peter Kelley


Japan/America Society of Kentucky

 Date: Thursday, March 5, 2020
 Title: The Evolving Japan - U.S. Alliance
 Speakers:

Kunihiko Miyake

James Schoff

Peter Kelley


The Japan America Society of Chicago

 Date: Thursday, February 27, 2020
 Title: Geostrategy: Japan and the US
 Speakers:

Narushige Michishita

Richard Samuels

Edward Grant


Japan-America Society of Tennessee, Inc.

 Date: Wednesday, February 12, 2020
 Title: Tennessee-Japan Forum 2020
 Speakers:

Yoshihide Soeya

Sheila Smith

Peter Kelley


Japan-America Society of North Carolina

 Date: Monday, February 3, 2020
 Title: 2020 JASNC Speaker Series in the Triangle Securing Freedom and Liberty in the Pacific
 Speakers:

Ryo Sahashi

Richard Fontaine

Peter Kelley


NAJAS and our members are grateful to The Sasakawa Peace Foundation for its support for this program. A unique partnership to create a public affairs program series with national impact, The "Geostrategy in the Grassroots" program is integral to the mission of promoting and strengthening mutual understanding between the United States and Japan.




National Association of Japan-America Societies, Inc.

1819 L Street NW, Suite 200

Washington, DC 20036

Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software