Japan has long been a leading advocate for nuclear disarmament. However, growing belligerency on the part of its three nuclear neighbors has put national security at the top of the government agenda, while US behavior has cast doubt on its longstanding commitment to defend Japan. In this May 20, 2026 talk, Nobumasa Akiyama, an advisor to the Japanese delegation to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Review Conference, says a majority of the Japanese public both supports nuclear disarmament and favors remaining under the US “nuclear umbrella.”
Talking Points: US–China Competition and the International Order
Rivalry between the United States and China is reshaping the international order. In this September 5, 2025, talk, Ryo Sahashi, a professor of international relations at the University of Tokyo, shares his analysis of how Japan is navigating the shifting global landscape. Professor Sahashi says Japan has no real alternative to its all-important alliance with the United States, but at the same time it is reaching out to other middle powers in hopes of teaming up to preserve the “rules-based order” that more and more world leaders deride.