Director of Geo-economics, Japan Chair ジャパン・チェア・プログラム Senior Fellow for Japanese Security Studies at The International Institute for Strategic Studies @iiss_org
Joined December 2013
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Very pleased to announce that my new @IISS_org Adelphi book on Japan is nearly with us.
The tome considers whether Japan’s new grand strategy, defence reforms & more are up to the strategic task that Japan has set itself against the background of increasing tensions around Taiwan in particular.
It also attempts to situate these recent changes within Japan’s broader strategic journey since the Meiji Restoration.
With special thanks to the Adelphi series editor, @Benjamin__Rhode, @alice_aveson and the IISS copyedit team, our design team, and the IISS Japan Chair team @IshimaruJu71422 @TakaKamisuna & @YukiKurihara716 for their support throughout.
An extra special thanks, too, to Konishi Takuya, Director of the Urushi Museum in Nikko, Japan for creating the beautiful calligraphy that grace the front cover.
Available for to order on the Routledge website, Amazon etc.
Robert Ward retweeted
In this #JapanMemo, @RobertAlanWard speaks with Professor @nobu_akiyama, Dr Lami Kim and Dr Daniel Salisbury about:
➡️ China and North Korea's nuclear build-up
➡️ Japan's nuclear debate under PM Takaichi
➡️ US extended deterrence
🎧 Listen now: go.iiss.org/4jfOMqx | Transcript available.
FT chart comparing Chinese and Japanese demographic trends. Chart shows the age structure of the population as a % of total from 1950 with forecast to 2060.
Japanification: ‘…the Japanisation index — a gauge originally devised by the late economist Takatoshi Ito — shows that for the past five years, China has been consistently more “Japanised” than Japan itself…’
giftarticle.ft.com/giftartic…
FT chart showing collapse in exports from China to Japan of critical metal yttrium since start 2026.
‘Japan is months from running out of supplies of yttrium, a critical metal, and has asked the US to push China to ease rare earth export controls that threaten severe disruption to the global automotive, defence and chip industries’
giftarticle.ft.com/giftartic…
More evidence of tightening China-Russia strategic cooperation with Heilongjiang province biz visit to disputed Etorofu. Follows new Japan sanctions on Russia, Putin’s August Etorofu visit.
Japan protests Chinese delegation visit to island held by Russia japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/1…
Robert Ward retweeted
To add to everything else, Russia is conducting bombing drills on Japan-claimed Etorofu 13-17 Oct. RU has also closed the airspace over the other disputed islands 10-16 Oct, possibly for additional military exercises. sankei.com/article/20261014-…
Robert Ward retweeted
Over the past two decades, successive crises have reinforced the global significance of the Gulf states. The upcoming IISS Strategic Dossier examines the multifaceted implications of the 2026 United States–Israel war with Iran for the foreign policies and defence and economic priorities of the Gulf states.
The Gulf states have not reacted to the war by doubling down on their collective defence under the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC). Rather, they have sought to strengthen or create new alliances and defence and security partnerships outside the bloc.
Read the chapter preview ahead of the dossier's publication on 30 October 2026: go.iiss.org/4yr5FT4
IISS Manama Dialogue
30 October–1 November 2026
#IISS_MD26 | go.iiss.org/MD26
Robert Ward retweeted
How is Japan responding to rising nuclear threats in East Asia? In this #JapanMemo, @RobertAlanWard asks Professor @nobu_akiyama of Hitotsubashi University, and Dr Lami Kim and Dr Daniel Salisbury of @IISS_org.
🎧 Listen now: go.iiss.org/4jfOMqx | Transcript available.
‘North Korea has a very powerful military-industrial complex that it has built over decades. It has now found a market in Russia…’
asia.nikkei.com/spotlight/po…
Nikkei reporting that NTT & Anthropic negotiating to build ¥1 trillion data centre in Osaka. With 500mw power receiving capacity, this wld also be one of Japan’s largest data centres.
nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOUC0…
Robert Ward retweeted
China's weaponization of rare earths basically has pushed Europe to think about a two round game -- a set of tariffs intended to counter China's export surge, and a "second strike" capacity if China response to "inside the rules" tariffs with supply restrictions
1/2
Japan’s govt ‘aims to submit legislation related to anti-espionage measures to the ordinary Diet session in 2027. The establishment of a foreign intelligence agency…is the next challenge to be addressed following the anti-espionage law’
nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOUA2…
Robert Ward retweeted
The inaugural episode of the Korea Chair Programme’s K-Defence podcast is out now!
Can South Korea help close America’s shipbuilding gap?
Dr Lami Kim and Dr Jonathan Caverley explore what closer ROK-US cooperation could mean for the future of naval shipbuilding.
Listen now:
🎧 go.iiss.org/4ANG5Kv
