Japan Unveils Ambitious Military Plans Ahead of Biden-Kishida Meeting
What are the implications of Japan’s largest military buildup since World War II, and what does this mean for the US-Japan security alliance?

REUTERS
About the Episode
This Friday, Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will make his first visit to Washington, DC for a summit meeting with President Biden. On Deep Dish, Council on Foreign Relations’ Sheila Smith and Hudson Institute’s Masashi Murano explore what is behind Japan’s new security vision, how the changes are viewed generationally by the Japanese public, and what this means for the future of the US-Japan security alliance to address rising threats from China.
Reading List
- How Japan Is Doubling Down on Its Military Power, Sheila Smith, Council on Foreign Relations, December 20, 2022
About the Experts
John E. Merow Senior Fellow, Asia-Pacific Studies, Council on Foreign Relations

Sheila Smith is at the Council on Foreign Relations, where she is the John E. Merow senior fellow for Asia-Pacific studies. She is an expert on Japanese politics and foreign policy, author of “Japan Rearmed: The Politics of Military Power, Intimate Rivals: Japanese Domestic Politics and a Rising China”.

Japan Chair Fellow, Hudson Institute

Masashi Murano is a Japan Chair fellow at Hudson Institute. His research areas include US-Japan defense cooperation and nuclear/conventional deterrence analysis. Prior to joining Hudson, he was a fellow at the Okazaki Institute (a Tokyo-based think tank).

Brian Hanson
Former Vice President, Studies

Brian Hanson served as the vice president of studies at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. He managed the Council's research operations and hosted the Council's weekly podcast, Deep Dish on Global Affairs.
