The Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA) and the Pacific Forum were pleased and honored to again co-host the 16th annual Japan-U.S. Security Seminar on January 15-16, 2010. It was a timely and important discussion; our meeting was originally intended to launch celebrations that would mark the 50th anniversary of the Japan-US security alliance. Instead, historical political changes in Tokyo upended those plans and ushered in a period of confusion and uncertainty. Concerns surrounding the alliance were magnified by the extraordinary economic circumstances triggered by “the Great Recession.” Politicians and policy makers in Japan, the US, and elsewhere have been trying to assess the impact of events of the last two years and to discern whether they signal a fundamental shift in the balance of power in Asia and worldwide. The challenges posed by North Korea, Iran, and Myanmar add to the sense of urgency and the need to find answers.
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