On March 21-22, 2003, more than 30 current and former Japanese and U.S. government officials and security and economic specialists met in San Francisco for the 9th Annual San Francisco Security Seminar. During a day and a half of intensive dialogue, the participants debated and exchanged views on a wide range of concerns and issues that the two countries face in the post-September 11 security environment, including at the bilateral, regional, and global levels. The conference theme of “Meeting Future Challenges” clearly derives from the positive direction the bilateral alliance has taken in the wake of the September 2001 terrorist attacks, and participants were challenged at the outset to share views on how best to maintain the alliance’s current good health, as well as to identify those issues and challenges that need more work to satisfy either or both parties in the future. Readers will find that some of the issues raised by participants and outlined below have new impetus – the North Korea nuclear crisis fueled much discussion – while other issues are more familiar ones, such as Japan’s internal debates about its security role, but with new information and insights.