Security

The security environment surrounding Japan is becoming increasingly challenging. Key factors include a full-blown strategic competition between the US and China, an unstoppable maritime expansion by China, the opaque future of denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, the deepening confrontation between China and Taiwan, and ongoing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. Domestic issues such as the US military base presence in Okinawa and Japan’s declining birthrate and aging population, as well as technological innovations that are changing the nature of warfare are also having a significant impact on Japan's security.

In response to these multifaceted challenges, JIIA is conducting cutting-edge research on the state of Japan's security and issues related to the Japan-US alliance. We are also actively promoting international cooperation and addressing sensitive challenges through dialogue with researchers from around the world.

Related Study Groups
Study Group on Traditional Security Risks
Study Group on Risks in New Domains (Space, Cyberspace, etc.)
Study Group on Economic Security and Japanese Diplomacy in an Era of International Competition

Event Reports

#Event Reports #Japan#Indo-Pacific#Europe#Security

Report on an Event Featuring H.E. Radmila Shekerinska, NATO Deputy Secretary General

16.03.2026
#Event Reports #Japan#Indo-Pacific#Europe#Security

Report on a Roundtable with Think Tanks in the Netherlands and Norway and Participation in the Annual Conference of a Lithuanian Think Tank

16.03.2026
#Event Reports #Indo-Pacific#Security #JIIA Center for Global Outreach (CGO) #The Center for Territory and History

International Symposium: “Safeguarding the Maritime Domain for the Free and Open Indo-Pacific”

10.03.2026
#Event Reports #Europe#Security #CDAST #CTBT #Science and Technology #Disarmament / Non-proliferation

3rd Webinar Towards a World without Nuclear Weapons: The International Group of Eminent Persons for a World without Nuclear Weapons (IGEP)

25.02.2026
#Event Reports #Security#China#Indo-Pacific#Americas #Center for Disarmament, Science and Technology (CDAST) #Disarmament / Non-proliferation #Economic Security #Science and Technology #CDAST

CDAST Roundtable on U.S.-China Nuclear and Strategic Issues

19.01.2026
#Event Reports #Americas#China#Europe#Indo-Pacific#Korean Peninsula#Middle East & Africa#Russia, Central Asia & the Caucasus#Security#Economic Security #Center for Disarmament, Science and Technology (CDAST) #CDAST #CTBT #Science and Technology

CDAST 2nd Webinar Towards a World without Nuclear Weapons: The International Group of Eminent Persons for a World without Nuclear Weapons (IGEP)

03.12.2025

Research Findings

#Americas#Middle East & Africa#Security #JIIA Strategic Comments #Study Group on Traditional Security Risks

JIIA Strategic Comments (2026-8) The US-Israel Attack on Iran and the Realignment of the Middle East Order: A New Phase of Regime Change and Regional Security

Koichi Nakagawa (Adjunct Fellow, The Japan Institute of International Affairs)
18.03.2026
#Indo-Pacific#Japan#Americas#China#Security#Economy & Global Issues #Japan's Voices

[Japan’s Voices No.5] Japan’s Challenges in Bolstering Its National Security in a Disorderly World

Tokuchi Hideshi (President, Research Institute for Peace and Security)
13.03.2026
#Security#Europe #JIIA Strategic Comments #Disarmament / Non-proliferation #Science and Technology #CDAST #Center for Disarmament, Science and Technology (CDAST)

JIIA Strategic Comments (2026-7) “Forward Deterrence” and the New Age of France’s Nuclear Deterrence

Timothée Albessard(Special Research Fellow, The Japan Institute of International Affairs. Graduated from The École Normale Supérieure (ENS) in Paris, France)
06.03.2026
#China#Americas#Security #JIIA Strategic Comments

JIIA Strategic Comments (2026-5) Allegations of a Chinese Nuclear Test

Shigeru Osugi (Research Fellow of the Center for Disarmament, Science and Technology, The Japan Institute of International Affairs)
06.03.2026
#Japan#China#Indo-Pacific#Economic Security#Security#Americas #JIIA Center for Global Outreach (CGO) #Japan's Voices

[Japan’s Voices No.4] Japan–China Relations, Taiwan, and US–China Dynamics: An Expert View

Akio Takahara (Senior Adjunct Fellow, JIIA)
27.02.2026
#Americas#Security #JIIA Strategic Comments #JIIA Platform #Study Group on the USA

JIIA Strategic Comments (2026-2) Trump 2.0 Returning to the "Exceptionalism": Building a Multi-Layered Breakwater in the Midwest

Jun Yanagi (Executive Director, JIIA Platform, Former Consul General of Japan in Chicago)
22.01.2026