On Monday, February 4, 2019, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation and National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) will host a seminar on “Constitutional Revision, the East Asia Security Dilemma, and the Future of the U.S.-Japan Security Alliance,” featuring Mansfield Fellow Logan Barlow (MFP 23). Barlow, a Captain in the U.S. Air Force, will present his thesis on Japan’s constitutional debate and its interdependence with regional stability and the U.S.-Japan alliance.
“Constitutional Revision, the East Asia Security Dilemma, and the Future of the U.S.-Japan Security Alliance”
Date: Monday, February 4, 2019
Time: 12:10-13:40
Venue: National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), 7-22-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-8677
1st Floor, Meeting Room 1AB
Speaker: Logan Barlow (Mansfield Fellow)
KC -135R Aircraft Commander, Captain, United States Air Force
Moderator: Hideshi Tokuchi, Senior Fellow of GRIPS Alliance
Description: Logan Barlow (Captain, United States Air Force) will present his recently completed master’s thesis, which examines Japan’s domestic constitutional debate focused on the amendment of Article 9, the “Renunciation of War Clause” and its interdependence with regional stability. Drawing from his experience as an international relations scholar and combat aviator, Captain Barlow articulates the geopolitical importance of Japan’s defense capabilities given its proximity to the People’s Republic of China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and the Russian Federation.
Capt. Barlow does not argue whether or not a constitutional revision should or must take place but rather focuses on the potential security impacts that Japanese constitutional revision would have. His strong belief that the next great conflict will be the result of “grey zone” engagement between disputing countries in East Asia guides this discussion on how to ensure regional stability and security. He also examines the impact that constitutional revision would have on the U.S.-Japan security alliance and offers suggestions on how to ensure the U.S.-Japan relationship remains strong throughout the coming decades. The overall purpose of this presentation is to encourage a more engaged approach and recognition of the regional implications of a potential shift in Japan’s security strategy.
There is no more important security arrangement in the world than that of the U.S.-Japan alliance and it will form the foundation of East Asian security for the foreseeable future. As such, it behooves both scholars and policymakers alike to be further educated and engaged in understanding the security dilemma and how domestic politics and policies will have a lasting regional impact.
Hideshi Tokuchi, Senior Fellow of GRIPS Alliance, joined the Defense Agency (the predecessor of the Ministry of Defense) of Japan in 1979 and served as the nation’s first Vice-Minister of Defense for International Affairs from July 2014 until he left the government in October 2015. In the Ministry of Defense, he had served as the Director-General of four bureaus: Operations; Personnel and Education; Finance and Equipment; and Defense Policy. He taught Japan’s national security policy as a visiting professor at GRIPS from 2002 to 2015.
*Language: English
*Admission Free
*Please bring your own lunch.
* This seminar will be off the record.
For registration and Inquiries please contact: grips-pr03@grips.ac.jp or 03-6439-6037 (Ms. Ozawa or Ms. Yamazaki)
The National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies
GRIPS was established in October 1997, superseding the Graduate School of Policy Science (GSPS) at Saitama University, which was the first graduate school for Policy Studies in Japan. GRIPS is a government-sponsored graduate school and research institute which has been restructured into an entirely new and unique entity. GRIPS aims to be an international center of excellence for the education of future leaders in the policy arena, for the advancement of policy research, and for the systematic collection and dissemination of policy-related information. In order to accomplish these aims, a Graduate School, a Policy Research Center and a Policy Information Center have been established. GRIPS is the first graduate school without facilities for undergraduates in Japan in the wider disciplines of social science. GRIPS is located in Roppongi, Tokyo, with easy access to the political and business headquarters of Japan.
GRIPS degree programs are designed to attract outstanding students and thoroughly prepare them for distinguished careers in policy setting. After a period of thorough preparation since its foundation in 1997, GRIPS welcomed its first domestic students in April 2000, followed six months later by its first international students. About two-thirds of the student-intake of GRIPS consist of international students coming from over sixty countries in Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe. Students normally have three to five years working experience for governments, central banks, custom offices or other relevant organizations. The International Programs at GRIPS are conducted solely in English, while Domestic Programs are taught in Japanese.
GRIPS aims to be the center of a consortium, consisting of industry, government, and academia, for the exchange of information, ideas, and personnel among graduate schools, government-related institutes, and private research institutes in Japan. In addition, through its international faculty, student body, and alumni, and by promoting international exchange of policy research and information, GRIPS aims to establish an international network among academics and government officials in the field of policy studies, contributing to the promotion of a better understanding among peoples around the world in an age of globalization.