On December 15th and 16th, 2021, the 21st Century Japan Politics and Society Initiative (21JPSI*) hosted a virtual manuscript workshop organized around the theme of “Japan and the World.” Six U.S.- and Japan-based experts on Japanese foreign policy convened virtually to present academic works-in-progress. Each working paper was the subject of a dedicated session designed to provide the paper’s author with critical feedback from an assigned discussant and other participants. The multidisciplinary workshop was organized by 21JPSI Director Adam P. Liff.
At the workshop’s first session, Saadia Pekkanen (University of Washington), presented an article manuscript analyzing space and the U.S.-Japan alliance. Deirdre Martin, a visiting assistant professor at Colby College, served as the discussant of Dr. Pekkanen’s paper.
During the workshop’s second session, Maiko Ichihara (Hitotsubashi University) presented an article exploring Chinese influence operations through the internet in Japan. Dr. Ichihara is an associate professor at Hitotsubashi University. Andrew Oros served as the discussant.
At the workshop’s third session, Satoru Mori (Hosei University) presented a working paper examining the central challenge for the United States and Japan as they pursue a free and open Indo-Pacific. Dr. Mori is a professor at Hosei University. Dr. Pekkanen served as her discussant.
During the workshop’s fourth session, Adam Liff (Indiana University) presented an article examining the U.S.-Japan alliance and Taiwan. Dr. Liff is associate professor of East Asian international relations at Indiana University’s Hamilton Lugar School, where he also serves as director of the 21st Century Japan Politics and Society Initiative. Dr. Mori served as his discussant.
During the penultimate session, Deirdre Martin (Colby College) presented a manuscript draft analyzing the politics of Japan’s security technology acquisitions strategies. Dr. Martin is a visiting assistant professor at Colby College. Dr. Ichihara served as her discussant.
The workshop concluded with a presentation and discussion of a paper written by Andrew Oros (Washington College) analyzing the United States’ aging allies in Northeast Asia. Dr. Oros is a professor at Washington College. Dr. Liff of Indiana University served as his discussant.
Good luck to all paper presenters as they revise their manuscripts for publication!
*The 21st Century Japan Politics and Society Initiative (21JPSI) was launched at Indiana University’s Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies in 2018. Under the leadership of Founding Director and HLS faculty member Adam Liff, 21JPSI aims to invigorate and expand research, teaching, and programming on contemporary Japanese politics, society, and international (esp. U.S.-Japan) relations, and to educate, raise awareness, and debate policy responses to the various political, social, and foreign policy challenges that Japan faces in this extremely dynamic era of 21st-century change. Supported by a generous $900,000 grant from the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership, in its first five years 21JPSI has enabled a new tenure-track faculty line contemporary Japanese politics and society; launched four new courses on contemporary Japan and a multidisciplinary speaker series on Japanese Politics and Society; hosted national conferences and webinars on U.S.-Japan relations; and funded graduate fellowships and faculty travel grants to support research in Japan. For more information, please see https://jpsi.indiana.edu/ or write to jpsi@iu.edu