Monday in Washington, November 30, 2015

BEYOND THE BUDGET DEAL: A CONVERSATION WITH DOD COMPTROLLER MIKE MCCORD. 11/30, 8:30-9:30am. Sponsor: CSIS. Speaker: Mike McCord, Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) and Chief Financial Officer.

HOUSING, INCLUSION AND SOCIAL EQUITY: A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE. 11/30, 8:30am-2:30pm. Sponsor: Brookings Institution. Speakers: Martin S. Indyk, Executive Vice President, Brookings; William (Sandy) Darity, Director, Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equality, Duke University; Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Deputy Prime Minister, Singapore; Jack Markell, Governor, State of Delaware; Setti David Warren, Mayor, Newton, Massachusetts; Xavier de Souza Briggs, Vice President, Ford Foundation.

INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY’S WORLD ENERGY OUTLOOK 2015. 11/30, 1:00-2:30pm. Sponsor: CSIS. Speaker: Fatih Birol, Executive Director, International Energy Agency (IEA); Moderator: Sarah Ladislaw, Director and Senior Fellow, Energy and National Security Program, CSIS.

11/30-12/11 - UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP21), Paris,

November 25 - International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

Statement by
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC

Today we celebrate the many stories of courageous and bold action to end gender-based violence— the nuns helping people escape sex trafficking, the men in Argentina teaching boys in football clubs to treat women with respect, the businesswomen in Detroit raising money to test rape kits, and the college students in India speaking out against gender-based violence and advocating for stronger enforcement of laws and public safety.

This cause is deeply personal to me. When I was a prosecutor outside Boston in the 1970s, I worked to put people behind bars for rape and sexual assault. We were one of the very first jurisdictions in America to set up a witness protection program so that people weren’t twice victimized – once by the crime and once by the system. And we put together a priority prosecution unit that took such cases and put them on a fast track for trial. Because no matter who you are or what you do: “No” means “no”; “against will” means “against will”; and force is never acceptable.

But the truth is that far too many cases of violence continue to occur—the wife beaten by her husband in Papua New Guinea, the college student sexually assaulted on campus in the United States, the women raped by government soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the 15-year-old girl in Europe at risk of female genital mutilation/cutting, the young Afghan stoned to death because she refused to be married, and the thousands of minority women and girls enslaved by Daesh and subjected to serious human rights abuses.

Gender-based violence is a problem in every country around the globe, including the United States. One in three women around the world will experience gender-based violence in her lifetime. For older women, women with disabilities, transgender women and women in marginalized communities, the reality is even worse. And all of this comes at a terrible cost, not only for women, but for families, communities, economies, and countries the world over.

Each and every one of us can do something to end gender-based violence. The United States is committed to tackling these issues by strengthening the rule of law, extending a hand to survivors, and working to change outdated attitudes about women and girls. We're also working with global partners to eradicate conflict-related sexual violence, and we welcome a new G7 report highlighting the power of collective action.

The bottom line is that we do this work every day, 365 days a year. But on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and over the next few weeks during the 16 Days of Activism, we shine a spotlight not only on the deplorable instances of gender-based violence, but also the heroes working to end it. And we pledge to continue our efforts to support survivors, work toward prevention, and make crystal clear that gender is never a justification for violence.

Publication of the G7 Report on the Implementation of the G8 Declaration on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, November 25, 2015

The Chair of the G7 has the honour to present the G7 Report on the Implementation of the G8 Declaration on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict.

The Declaration was made in April 2013 to address the prevalence of systematic and widespread sexual violence in situations of armed conflict. We set out to work together, in a concerted campaign, to strengthen prevention and response. Better support needed to be provided to victims, more capacity needed to be built for prevention. We sought to remove barriers that prevent effective monitoring and reporting of sexual violence and improve accountability and access to justice.

This report illustrates the progress that has been made by providing a selection of concrete actions by G7 members and highlighting other major international efforts with G7 participation. It represents an intermediate step and serves as a symbol of renewed commitment by the G7 to the Declaration.
G7 Report on the Implementation of the G8 Declaration on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict PDF | 394 KB (9 pages)

Japan as noted in the G-7 report

In the same year [2014], Japan held a public symposium in Tokyo with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to discuss and deepen understanding of the main challenges and responses to sexual violence in armed conflict.

Japan made a voluntary contribution of approximately €600,000 to the Trust Fund for Victims at the International Criminal Court (ICC) to support survivors of sexual violence. An additional €400,000 is earmarked to support survivors of SGBV.

In 2015, Japan allocated an additional $2.55 million in 2015, to support the work of the Team of Experts in the DRC and the Central African Republic. Japan became the largest donor to the Office of SRSG on SVC in 2014, with a contribution of $2.15 million in order to bolster the judicial systems in the DRC and Somalia.
Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Page on Women

Prime Minister of Japan’s Schedule May 25-31, 2015

Monday, May 25, 2015

AM
08:00 At private residence (no visitors)
08:43 Depart from private residence
08:56 Arrive at office
09:30 The second meeting of the Cyber Security Strategy Headquarters
09:35 Meeting ends
09:41 Receive a proposal from the Science and Technology Parliamentary Association
10:01 End reception
10:12 Meet with Secretary-General of Headquarters for Abduction Issue Ishikawa Shoichiro
10:27 End meeting with Mr. Ishikawa
10:29 Meet with Minister of Defense Nakatani Gen, Director of National Security Council (NSC) Yachi Shotaro, MOFA’s Director-General of International Legal Affairs Bureau Akiba Takeo, and Ministry of Defense (MOD)’s Director-General of Bureau of Defense Policy Kuroe Tetsuo

11:32 End meeting with Mr. Nakatani, Mr. Yachi, Mr. Akiba, and Mr. Kuroe

PM
12:12 Depart from office
12:19 Arrive at Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery. Attend the Ceremony of Reverence, lay a wreath
12:45 Depart from Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery
12:54 Arrive at office
01:36 Film video message for medical science-related activity
01:59 End filming
02:01 Meet with Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy Amari Akira, Vice-Minister of Cabinet Office Matsuyama Kenji, Cabinet Office Director-General for Policies on Cohesive Society Maekawa Mamoru, Cabinet Office Director-General for Policies on Cohesive Society Habuka Shigeki, Cabinet Office’s Director-General for Policies on Cohesive Society Tawa Hiroshi
02:34 End meeting with Mr. Amari, Mr. Matsuyama, Mr. Maekawa, Mr. Habuka, and Mr. Tawa
02:35 Meet with Former Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Masuda Hiroya
03:12 End meeting with Mr. Masuda
03:20 Meet with Administrative Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Nagamine Yasumasa
04:02 End meeting with Mr. Nagamine
04:03 Meet with Ministry of Finance (MOF)’s Deputy Vice-Minister Fukuda Junichi and MOF’s Director-General of Tax Bureau Sato Shinichi
04:29 End meeting with Mr. Fukuda and Mr. Sato

Suga and Yamaguchi think shirt itches

04:33 Presentation of Kariyushi Shirt from the Governor of Okinawa Prefecture Takeshi Onaga. Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga Yoshihide and Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs Yamaguchi Shunichi also attend
04:45 Presentation ends
04:53 Depart from office
04:54 Arrive at Diet
04:55 Enter LDP Secretary-General’s Conference Room
04:56 Endorse the Governor candidate for Gunma Prefecture. Photograph Session
04:58 Leave LDP Secretary-General’s Conference Room
04:59 Enter LDP President’s Office
05:01 LDP Officers Meeting
05:20 Meeting ends
05:38 Speak with Chairman of LDP Election Strategy Committee Motegi Toshimitsu
05:42 Leave LDP President’s Office
05:43 Depart from Diet
05:45 Arrive at office
06:14 Reception for Prime Minister of Malaysia Dato’ Sri Haji Mohd Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak. Commemoration Photograph Session.
06:15 Ceremony by the guard of honor
06:21 Ceremony ends
06:23 Japan-Malaysia Summit Meeting with Prime Minister Najib Razak
07:19 Summit meeting ends
07:22 Joint Press Announcement
07:36 Joint Press Announcement ends
07:37 Depart from office
07:38 Arrive at the official residence. Banquet hosted by Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and wife Akie
08:56 Send off Prime Minister Najib Razak and his spouse Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor
08:58 Send-off ends

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

AM
12:00 At official residence (no visitors)
07:27 Depart from office
07:32 Meet with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Seko Hiroshige
08:13 End meeting with Mr. Seko
08:24 Cabinet meeting
08:40 Cabinet meeting ends
08:41 Meet with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu
09:53 End meeting with Mr. Kato
09:54 Depart from office
09:56 Arrive at Diet
09:57 Enter Upper House Committee Room No. 43
10:00 Meeting of the Committee on Health, Labour, and Welfare of the Upper House

PM
12:03 Meeting adjourns. Leave Upper House Committee Room No. 43
12:04 Depart from Diet
12:06 Arrive at office
12:36 Depart from office
12:38 Arrive at Diet
12:40 Enter LDP President’s Office
12:41 Meet with Chief Representative of Japan Innovation Party Matsuno Yorihisa
12:49 End meeting with Mr. Matsuno
12:50 Leave LDP President’s Office
12:52 Enter Lower House Speaker’s Reception Room
12:55 Meet with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Aso Taro and Minister of Defense Nakatani Gen
12:59 End meeting with Mr. Aso and Mr. Nakatani
01:00 Leave Lower House Speaker’s Reception Room, enter Lower House Chamber
01:02 Plenary session of the Lower House
04:01 Plenary session adjourns, leave Lower House Chamber
04:02 Depart from Diet
04:04 Arrive at office
04:05 Meet with Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Miyazawa Yoichi and State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Takagi Yosuke
04:23 End meeting with Mr. Miyazawa and Mr. Takagi
04:48 Meet with Director of National Security Council (NSC) Yachi Shotaro, Director of Cabinet Intelligence Kitamura Shigeru, and Director of Cabinet Satellite Intelligence Center Shimohira Koji
04:56 Mr. Yachi and Mr. Shimohira leave
05:08 Mr. Kitamura leaves
05:17 Meeting of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy
06:22 Meeting ends
06:28 Ceremony to Present the Commendations for Contributors to Consumer Support for FY2015
06:40 Ceremony ends
06:56 Receive a courtesy call from a delegation led by Chairman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee of the United States Michael D. Rogers
07:13 Courtesy call ends
07:15 Depart from office
07:32 Arrive at Italian restaurant Ristorante ASO. Dinner meeting with Chairman of the ANA Holdings Inc.’s Board Ito Shinichiro and President of ANA Holdings Inc. Katanozaka Shinya
09:01 Depart from the restaurant.
09:09 Arrive at private residence in Tomigaya, Tokyo

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

AM
12:00 At private residence (no visitors)
07:14 Depart from private residence
07:27 Arrive at office
08:54 Depart from office
08:56 Arrive at Diet
08:58 Enter Lower House Committee Room No. 1
09:00 Meeting of the Special Committee of the House of Representatives on the Legislation for Peace and Security of Japan and the International Community

PM
12:01 Meeting adjourns
12:02 Leave Lower House Committee Room No. 1
12:04 Depart from Diet
12:05 Arrive at office
12:54 Depart from office
12:55 Arrive at Diet
12:57 Enter Lower House Committee Room No. 1
01:00 Meeting of the Special Committee of the House of Representatives on the Legislation for Peace and Security of Japan and the International Community reopens
05:02 Meeting adjourns
05:03 Leave Lower House Committee Room No. 1
05:05 Depart from Diet
05:07 Arrive at office
05:13 Meeting of the Ministerial Council on the Monthly Economic Report and Other Relative Issues
05:27 Meeting ends
05:28 Speak with Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ohta Akihiro
05:30 Finish speaking with Mr. Ohta
05:43 Meet with Chairman of LDP General Council Nikai Toshihiro, former Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Nishikawa Koya, and others
06:17 End meeting with Mr. Nikai, Mr. Nishikawa, and others
06:22 Depart from office
06:31 Arrive at Palace Hotel Tokyo in Marunouchi, Tokyo. Attend a party hosted by LDP faction Santo in banquet hall Aoi within the hotel, deliver an address.
06:41 Depart from the hotel
06:49 Arrive at Japanese restaurant Kurosawa in Nagata-Cho, Tokyo. Dinner meeting with President of Nippon Television Holdings, Inc. Okubo Yoshio, journalist Goto Kenji, and others
09:37 Depart from the restaurant
09:53 Arrive at private residence

Thursday, May 28, 2015

AM
12:00 At private residence (no visitors)
07:12 Depart from private residence
07:24 Arrive at office
07:26 Meet with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu
08:53 End meeting with Mr. Kato
08:54 Depart from office
08:55 Arrive at Diet
08:57 Enter Lower House Committee Room No. 1
09:03 Meeting of the Special Committee of the House of Representatives on the Legislation for Peace and Security of Japan and the International Community

PM
12:02 Meeting adjourns
12:03 Leave Lower House Committee Room No. 1
12:05 Depart from Diet
12:06 Arrive at office
12:47 Meet with Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga Yoshihide
12:54 Depart from office
12:55 Arrive at Diet
12:57 Enter Lower House Committee Room No. 1
01:00 Meeting of the Special Committee of the House of Representatives on the Legislation for Peace and Security of Japan and the International Community reopens
05:04 Meeting adjourns
05:05 Leave Lower House Committee Room No. 1
05:07 Depart from Diet
05:08 Arrive at office
05:19 National Security Council meeting
05:54 Meeting ends
06:03 Depart from office
06:11 Arrive at Hotel New Otani in Kioi-Cho, Tokyo. Attend a party hosted by LDP Lower House member Hosoda Hiroyuki in banquet hall Ho-Oh-No-Ma, deliver address
06:22 Depart from office
06:40 Arrive at Japanese restaurant Shinbashi Matsuyama in Ginza, Tokyo. Dinner meeting with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Seko Hiroshige and others
07:21 Depart from the restaurant
07:27 Arrive at steakhouse Kawamura in Ginza, Tokyo. Dinner meeting with Chairman of LDP General Council Nikai Toshihiro, LDP Lower House member Kawamura Takeo, and others
09:28 Depart from the steakhouse
09:48 Arrive at private residence

Asia mostly backsliding on democratic values

BY Jeff Kingston, director of Asian Studies, Temple University Japan and APP member

THE JAPAN TIMES,  November 28, 2015 

In Japan, lawyers are fortunately not arrested by the state for doing their job, as they are in China. Nor are academics faced with indictment for challenging mainstream history narratives, as in South Korea.

We tend to expect the worst when it comes to China, but in democratic South Korea it is troubling to learn that professor Park Yu-ha is being subjected to a witch-hunt over her recent book, which challenges the official story of the “comfort women.” Whether she is right or not is irrelevant; in a functioning democracy scholars should have the political space needed to voice their opinions even if their ideas are unpopular.

Combined with President Park Geun-hye’s recent initiative to reassert a state monopoly on high school textbooks by 2017, and the arrest of a Japanese journalist for what amounted to shoddy journalism — thereby transforming him into an undeserving icon for press freedom — clearly the South Korean government is working overtime to tarnish that nation’s hard-won image for robust democracy. The good news is that large-scale demonstrations against the president’s gambit to white-wash history show that citizens zealously guard these rights and are not going to tolerate any conservative backsliding on South Korea’s praetorian history.

Park must envy Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He has promoted patriotic education and imposed new guidelines that give the state inordinate control over what is written in Japan’s textbooks; when it comes to touchy subjects like territorial disputes or comfort women, they must conform with government views. And Abe has accomplished this without sparking mass protests about the history lobotomy he is administering. Perhaps this is because Abe’s Japan is a target-rich environment for progressive activists as he propels reactionary agendas across the board ranging from welfare for the wealthy — aka “Abenomics” — to nuclear restarts, collective self-defense, shoving a new U.S. military base at Henoko down the throats of Okinawans, arms exports, moral education, faux “womenomics,” visits to Yasukuni Shrine and so on. With so many targets, it’s hard to focus public disaffection.

Abe’s signature initiatives and grandstanding gestures may not be popular, but a weak and fragmented opposition gives him a free hand. The mass protests this past summer, in which demonstrators rallied in defense of the Constitution and against his security legislation, followed protests against his 2013 state secrets legislation, a remarkable rollback of what limited transparency has ensued since a national information disclosure law was passed in 2001.

The government seems paranoid over international scrutiny of this secrecy legislation, as the planned December visit of David Kaye, the U.N. special rapporteur charged with examining Japan’s record on transparency and accountability, has been postponed indefinitely. No doubt the officials charged with designating state secrets are so busy making sure that none of the dirty linen sees the light of day for 60 years — yes, that is the inscrutably lengthy period for which government documents can be withheld from public scrutiny — that making time to welcome an unwelcome visitor is a low priority.

So next month, when Abe visits Prime Minister Narendra Modi in India, he can offer moral support for New Delhi’s recent stonewalling of visits by U.S. State Department officials regarding human trafficking and LGBT rights. Given that Modi’s star is fading rapidly in India, underscored by a monumental setback at the state polls earlier this month in Bihar, where he had campaigned extensively, he could use a bit of Abe-teflon. Increasingly Modi has fallen back on the dark agenda of Hindutva (Hindu chauvinism) to offset the growing disenchantment with his mounting failures on the promises of national rejuvenation encapsulated in the “India Shining” propaganda. As with Abe’s historical revisionism, support for the Japan Conference (Nippon Kaigi) and Yasukuni visits, Modi finds the temptations of the primordial are hard to resist and is also dumbing down India’s textbooks. Abe will try to seal the deal on exporting Japanese nuclear technology to India and Shin Maywa’s amphibious U-2 planes, which can track Chinese submarines in the Indian Ocean. He will also try to get New Delhi to buy Japanese high-speed rail technology.

China’s recent snatching of the Indonesian high-speed rail contract came as an unpleasant surprise given close bilateral ties between Indonesia and Japan since World War II and lingering animosity toward Beijing in Jakarta for alleged (and unsubstantiated) support for a so-called communist coup in 1965. In the aftermath, the military mounted a real coup under former President Suharto (1967-98), who, with the aid of Islamic youth groups and paramilitary organizations and gangs, unleashed a wave of terror that killed up to 1 million Indonesians.

This slaughter remains controversial in Indonesia, where President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has not carried through on his pledges for a full reckoning. This might be somewhat easier now, after the U.S. State Department in September declassified materials related to Washington’s involvement in fingering targets for the death squads. But Jokowi is politically weak and has also been unable to follow through on promises to open the troubled province of Papua to journalistic scrutiny because security forces there want to keep their repressive operations under wraps. And his “boss,” Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle leader Megawati Sukarnoputri, is now trying to kill the anti-corruption commission in one of the most corrupt nations in the world.

At a November conference in Berlin on Sino-Japanese rivalry, discussion of Abe’s recent tour through central Asia singled out his visits to Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, where Abe disappointed human rights activists by shifting toward a more pragmatic stance similar to China’s. Unlike his predecessors, Abe came up short by ignoring widespread concerns about political repression. Given that China’s energy deals overshadow Japan’s by far, Abe had little to lose and much to gain by standing tall on democratic values and human rights. Alas, Abe decided that “success” depended on acting more like Beijing and cozying up to despots.

Myanmar is one of the bright spots for democracy in Asia, after Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy won a resounding landslide victory in the October election. It now faces the impossible task of meeting unreasonably high expectations. She doesn’t have a magic wand, however, and has to deal with ethnic problems that have proven intractable for the entire post-WWII independence period. She also needs to cope with militant Buddhist monks eager to whip up anti-Muslim violence.

Yet, the people voted out the military-backed junta for the second time in 25 years, and this time the generals indicate they will respect the outcome, a belated reward for citizens’ perseverance under a despotic regime. There is, however, an urgent need for donors to open the spigots of aid and the flow of technical assistance required to help them climb out of the very deep hole dug by an inept kleptocracy that has misruled for way too long.

Prime Minister of Japan’s Schedule May 18-24, 2015

Monday, May 18, 2015

AM
08:00 At private residence (no visitors)
09:41 Depart from private residence
09:54 Arrive at official residence
10:07 Meet with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Seko Hiroshige
10:38 End meeting with Mr. Seko
11:53 Depart from office
11:55 Arrive at Diet
11:56 Enter Upper House President’s Reception Room
11:57 Leave Upper House President’s Reception Room, enter Upper House Chamber

PM
12:01 Plenary session of the Upper House begins
01:08 Plenary session of the Upper House adjourns
01:09 Leave Upper House Chamber
01:10 Depart from Diet
01:12 Arrive at office
01:32 Interview with monthly journal Seiron
02:12 Interview ends
02:19 Receive a courtesy call from Japanese Co-Chairman Kazuo Tsukuda, Acting EU Co-Chairman Danny Risberg, and other members of the EU-Japan Business Round Table
02:31 Courtesy call ends
02:45 Meet with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Aso Taro, Ministry of Finance’s Director-General of Budget Bureau Tanaka Kazuho, and Ministry of Finance’s Director-General of the Financial Bureau Nakahara Hiroshi
03:24 End meeting with Mr. Aso, Mr. Tanaka, and Mr. Nakahara
03:25 Meet with Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy Amari Akira, Vice-Minister of Cabinet Office Matsuyama Kenji, Cabinet Office Director-General for Policies on Cohesive Society Maekawa Mamoru, Cabinet Office Director-General for Policies on Cohesive Society Habuka Shigeki, Cabinet Office’s Director-General for Policies on Cohesive Society Tawa Hiroshi
03:40 End meeting with Mr. Amari, Mr. Matsuyama, Mr. Maekawa, Mr. Habuka, and Mr. Tawa
03:47 National Security Council meeting
03:56 Meeting ends
03:57 Meet with Director of National Security Council (NSC) Yachi Shotaro, Director of Cabinet Intelligence Kitamura Shigeru, MOFA’s Director-General of Foreign Policy Bureau Hiramatsu Kenji, Ministry of Defense (MOD)’s Director-General of Bureau of Defense Policy Kuroe Tetsuro, Chief of Staff for Joint Staff Council Kawano Katsutoshi
04:20 End meeting with Mr. Yachi, Mr. Kitamura, Mr. Hiramatsu, Mr. Kuroe, and Mr. Kawano
04:32 The fourth meeting of the Council for the Protection of Information
04:57 Depart from office
04:58 Arrive at Diet
04:59 Enter LDP President’s Office
05:00 LDP Officers Meeting
05:25 Meeting ends
05:35 Leave LDP President’s Office
05:36 Depart from Diet
05:38 Arrive at office
05:39 Meet with President of the Party for Future Generations Hiranuma Takeo, Secretary-General of the Party for Future Generations Matsuzawa Shigefumi, and others
05:56 End meeting with Mr. Hiranuma, Mr. Matsuzawa, and others
06:04 Film video message for universities
06:07 Finish filming
06:32 Depart from office
06:43 Arrive at the Headquarters Building of Yomiuri Shimbun in Otemachi-cho, Tokyo. Dinner meeting with Chairman of Yomiuri Group, Inc. Watanabe Tsuneo, Yomiuri Shimbun’s Special editorial board member Hashimoto Goro, Chairman of Sankei Shimbun Kiyohara Takehiko, Nikkei Shimbun’s Chief Editorial Writer Serikawa Yoichi, President of NHK Enterprises, INC. Imai Tamaki, and Commentor Yayama Taro
09:22 Depart from Yomiuri Shimbun
09:37 Arrive at private residence

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

AM
12:00 At private residence (no visitors)
08:00 At private residence in Tomigaya, Tokyo (no morning visitors)
08:07 Depart from private residence
08:20 Arrive at office
08:28 Cabinet meeting
08:41 Cabinet meeting ends
09:50 Film video message for American groups
09:57 Finish filming
10:06 Meet with Chairman of LDP General Council Nikai Toshihiro and LDP Lower House member Hayashi Moto
10:33 End meeting with Mr. Nikai and Mr. Hayashi
10:34 Meet with Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Saiki Akitaka, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)’s Director-General of Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau Uemura Tsukasa, MOFA’s Director-General of Intelligence and Analysis Service Oka Hiroshi
11:03 End meeting with Mr. Saiki, Mr. Uemura, and Mr. Oka
11:05 Director of National Security Council (NSC) Yachi Shotaro, Director of Cabinet Intelligence Kitamura Shigeru, and Ministry of Defense (MOD)’s Director of Defense Intelligence Headquarters Miyagawa Tadashi enter
11:14 Mr. Yachi and Mr. Miyagawa leave
11:31 Mr. Kitamura leaves
11:32 Meet with Chairman of Young Diet Members’ Association for Promoting Japan-Taiwan Economic and Cultural Exchange Kishi Nobuo, and the Association’s Secretary-General Hagiuda Koichi
11:54 End meeting with Mr. Kishi and Mr. Hagiuda
11:55 Meet with LDP Lower House member Kawai Katsuyuki 

PM
12:04 End meeting with Mr. Kawai
12:54 Depart from office
12:55 Arrive at Diet
12:57 Enter Lower House Chamber
12:59 Speak with Senior Vice-Minister of Defense Sato Akira
01:00 Finish speaking with Mr. Sato
01:02 Plenary session of the Lower House begins
01:04 Leave in the middle of the plenary session of the Lower House
01:05 Depart from Diet
01:07 Arrive at office
01:35 Meet with MOFA’s Director-General of Foreign Policy Bureau Hiramatsu Kenji, Ministry of Defense (MOD)’s Director-General of Bureau of Defense Policy Kuroe Tetsuro
02:13 End meeting with Mr. Hiramatsu and Mr. Kuroe
05:18 The 6th meeting in 2015 of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy
06:19 Meeting ends
06:23 Reception for Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama. Commemoration Photograph Session. Attend a ceremony by the guard of honor
06:30 Ceremony ends
06:32 Japan-Fiji Summit Meeting with Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama
07:31 Summit meeting ends
07:33 Joint press announcement. Exchange uniforms with Rugby representatives
06:41 Depart from office
06:43 Arrive at official residence. Dinner meeting hosted by Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and wife Akie
08:52 Send off Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama
08:53 Finishing send-off

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

AM
12:00 At official residence (no visitors)
08:00 At official residence (no morning visitors)
09:40 Depart from official residence
09:42 Arrive at office
09:43 Interview open to all media: when asked his comments on surpassing the tenure of his grandfather and former Prime Minister Kishi Nobusuke, Prime Minister Abe says, “I have a long way to go. What is important is not the number of days in office but what I have achieved. I will devote myself to tackling our policies.”
09:44 Interview ends

PM
02:54 Depart from office
02:55 Arrive at Diet
02:58 Enter Lower House Committee Room No. 1
03:00 Party Leaders’ Debate
03:49 Party Leaders’ Debate ends
03:51 Leave Lower House Committee Room No. 1
03:53 Depart from Diet
03:54 Arrive at Diet
03:56 Minister of Finance Aso Taro, MOF’s Deputy Vice-Minister Fukuda Junichi, and Ministry of Finance (MOF)’s Director-General of Budget Bureau Tanaka Kazuho
04:46 Mr. Fukuda and Mr. Tanaka leave
05:00 Mr. Aso leaves
05:01 Meet with Mayor of Nagoto City, Yamaguchi Prefecture Onishi Kurao
05:05 End meeting with Mr. Onishi
05:06 Meet with Director of Cabinet Intelligence Kitamura Shigeru
05:55 Reception for President of Mongolia Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj. Commemoration Photograph Session
05:56 Attend a ceremony by the guard of honor
06:02 Ceremony ends
06:04 Japan-Mongolia Summit Meeting with President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj
06:43 Summit meeting ends
06:46 Joint Press Conference
06:55 Joint Press Conference ends
06:56 Depart from office
06:57 Arrive at official residence. Dinner meeting hosted by Prime Minister Abe Shinzo
08:10 Send off President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj
08:11 Finishing send-off

Thursday, May 21, 2015

AM
12:00 At official residence (no visitors)
08:00 At official residence (no morning visitors)
09:45 Depart from official residence
09:47 Arrive at office
10:00 Meet with Special Advisor to the Prime Minister Kimura Taro
10:07 End meeting with Mr. Kimura
10:09 Meet with Director of Cabinet Intelligence Kitamura Shigeru
10:19 End meeting with Mr. Kitamura
11:03 Depart from office
11:13 Arrive at Hotel New Otani in Kioi-cho, Tokyo. Host a luncheon for Prime Minister of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea Peter O'Neill and other guests in banquet hall Ho-Oh-No-Ma.

PM
12:40 Receive a courtesy call from Chairman of the State Duma Sergey Naryshkin
12:55 Courtsey call ends
01:04 Depart from hotel
01:10 Arrive at office
01:34 Meet with Minister of the Environment Mochizuki Yoshio
01:55 End meeting with Mr. Mochizuki
01:56 Meet with LDP Secretary-General Tanigaki Sadakazu
02:29 End meeting with Mr. Tanigaki
04:17 Meet with Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) Shimomura Hakubun, Vice-Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Yamanaka Shinichi, MEXT’s Director-General of Sports and Youth Bureau Kubo Kimito
04:37 End meeting with Mr. Shimomura, Mr. Yamanaka, and Mr. Kubo
05:20 Meet with Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Saiki Akitaka, Administrative Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Nagamine Yasumasa, MOFA’s Director-General of European Affairs Bureau Hayashi Hajime, MOFA’s Director-General of Economic Affairs Bureau Saiki Naoko
05:55 End meeting with Mr. Saiki, Mr. Nagamine, Mr. Hayashi, and Ms. Saiki
05:58 Depart from office
06:03 Arrive at Imperial Hotel in Uchisaiwai-cho, Tokyo.
06:13 Receive a courtesy call from Deputy Prime Minister of Kingdom of Thailand Pridiyathorn Devakula in the banquet hall Chidori
06:21 Courtesy call ends
06:26 Receive a courtesy call from Deputy Prime Minister, Socialist Republic of Vietnam Vu Van Ninh
06:41 Courtesy call ends
06:47 Receive a courtesy call from Vice President of Indonesia Jusuf Kalla
06:57 Courtesy call ends
07:05 Attend the banquet of the 21st International Conference on the Future of Asia held in Tokyo, delivered a speech, exchange views with attendants
08:47 Finishing attending the banquet
08:49 Depart from the hotel
08:56 Arrive at Palace Hotel Tokyo. Attend a social gathering of Columbia University Business School personnel, alumni, and others
09:58 Depart from the hotel
10:14 Arrive at private residence in Tomigaya, Tokyo

Books discussed in Washington

The following books will be discussed in public programs in 

Washington, DC in the following weeks. Click on each book to order.

Whither Russo-Japanese Relations?

By: Stephen Blank, Senior Fellow and resident Russia expert at the American Foreign Policy Council

First published in the Eurasia Daily Monitor, Jamestown Foundation, Volume: 12 Issue: 212, November 20, 2015

Although Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be visiting Japan this year or anytime soon (see EDM, October 9) and currently no agenda even exists for any such visit, Tokyo appears so desperate for reconciliation with Moscow that it has agreed to continue discussing the status of the disputed Kurile Islands and overall normalization of relations with Russia. Indeed, Putin invited Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe to Moscow instead, and Abe is apparently considering accepting. But if Japan follows this path, it will be venturing into dangerous diplomatic territory. As noted at a conference hosted by the Carnegie Endowment, on November 15, several Japanese analysts and policymakers harbor the belief that Russia may be prepared to return at least two of the Kurile Islands. Moreover, they contend that if Japan and Russia are able to come to some kind of agreement on the disputed territories, this could open the way for an overall, if gradual, rapprochement between Russia and the West, which would redound to Japan’s credit (Kyodo News Service, November 15, 16; Japan Times, November 17).

However, Tokyo’s persistent chasing after Moscow probably has not strengthened its cause or reputation. For one thing, it has likely reinforced Russia’s preconceptions that Japan needs Russia more than Russia needs Japan, even though the truth is arguably the exact opposite. But additionally, it has bolstered Russia’s seeming belief that it can bully Japan, insult it with impunity, and still gain its objectives (see EDM, July 31). Illustratively, in mid-September 2015, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida, that normalization was only possible if Japan first recognized the “historical realities” regarding the Kurile Islands (Japan Times, September 22).

Moscow has clearly demonstrated it would not negotiate on the island issue for as long as sanctions on Russia, which were passed by Tokyo and its Western partners in response to Putin’s aggression in Ukraine, remain in place. In other words, for Japan to receive any of its islands back, let alone regain sovereignty over them, the price it will probably have to pay would be breaking the West’s united front on sanctions. Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov, who oversees Russia’s Asian policies, said as much several months ago (Interfax, September 2). But that action, if taken, would place a landmine under Japan’s relations with its most important ally—the United States—and the West in general.

Putin has reportedly warned Abe that if he comes to Japan, the Russian leader must have concrete economic results to show for it (Nikkei Asian Review, September 15). And at the Putin-Abe meetings in September 2015, Putin pointedly referred to declining Russo-Japanese trade (Ajw.asahi.com, September 29). However, he also expressed his confidence that both states have a high potential for economic cooperation on a large number of joint projects (Kyodo, September 29). Similarly Sergei Naryshkin, the speaker of the State Duma (lower house of parliament) and a close aide to Putin, has stated that “Japan’s imposition of sanctions on Russia has become an obstacle to bilateral relations” (Kyodo, September 11).

Logically one should have concluded that no realistic prospect for normalizing Russo-Japanese relations exists. The evidence has been wide and varied, including Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s recent visit to the Kurile Islands; the new Russian plans for a military buildup there (see EDM, October 28); fresh insults directed against Tokyo in the wake of Japanese protests about those actions; the August 2015 Russo-Chinese naval maneuvers, which featured simulated amphibious landings (RT, August 16); as well as President Putin’s prominent presence in Beijing, in September, at the 70th anniversary celebration of the end of World War II, which was marked by a high level of anti-Japanese rhetoric (Xinhua, September 3). Moreover, during August–September 2015, almost every day featured a Japanese or Russian denunciation of the other government’s actions or speeches in regard to the Kurile Islands. Indeed, Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs infuriated Tokyo by saying at one point that the Kurile Islands problem does not exist—i.e., that for Russia, there is no problem (Sputnik News, September 4). Neither was this the first time the Russian foreign ministry or other officials have simply denied the existence of the problem. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, a known provocateur, exemplified such inflammatory rhetoric when, in August, he suggested that the Japanese government would be better off committing collective ritual suicide (hari-kiri) rather than continue to complain about Medvedev’s recent visit to the Kurile islands (Kyodo, August 25).

Even if Japan renounces the sanctions it imposed on Russia, it might still not receive the disputed islands back; and if Tokyo does eventually regain the Kuriles, it could well be in the form of a “gift” from Moscow that does not entail the full transfer of sovereignty to Japan. Such an outcome would thus be a poisoned chalice for the East Asian island country. Accordingly, if Japan were to indeed break the sanctions regime on Russia, it is difficult to see how such a step would translate into Tokyo becoming a broker for an East-West rapprochement. Nor would Japan dropping its sanctions be likely to contribute to geopolitically detaching Russia from China. Importantly, Japan would probably not receive anything other than a symbolic acknowledgement of territories whose symbolic value far outweighs their strategic utility for Tokyo. Rather, Tokyo would have isolated itself from its allies and shown Beijing that it can be pushed around simply for the sake of its “status.” 

Put another way, by agreeing to abandon sanctions in exchange for Moscow’s partial or conditional acceptance of Tokyo’s claim to the Kuriles, Japan would inadvertently be signaling to other governments in the region that it does not hold fast to the principle of the territorial inviolability of states. That would be an ominous precedent with regard to its claims to the Senkaku Islands, which are under a Chinese challenge. Ultimately then, the belief that Japan can break its alliance ties in order to gain some symbolic victories or economic opportunities represents not realism but wishful thinking. And in regard to Russia, wishful thinking is never enough.

Monday in Washington, November 23, 2015

This is Thanksgiving week and Washington pretty much shuts down.

THE “PITILESS” WAR: A STRATEGY AFTER THE PARIS ATTACKS. 11/23, 10:00-11:15am. Sponsor: The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF). Speakers: James Jeffrey, Distinguished Fellow, Washington Institute for Near East Policy; Matthew G. Olsen, Former Director, National Counterterrorism Center; Derek Chollet, Counselor and Senior Adviser for Security and Defense Policy, GMF.

click to order

REAPPRAISING THE U.S. MILITARY STRATEGY AND MISSION IN AFGHANISTAN. 11/23, Noon-1:30pm Sponsor: Middle East Institute (MEI). Speakers: David Barno, American University; Ali Jalali, National Defense University; Thomas Lynch, National Defense University; David Sedney, CSIS.

THE DETERIORATING STATE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHINA. 11/23, Noon-1:30pm. Sponsor: CATO Institute. Speakers: Chen Guangcheng, Visiting Fellow, Catholic University; Teng Biao, Associate, Carr Center for Human Rights Policy; Wei Jingsheng, Chairman, Wei Jingsheng Foundation; Xia Yeliang, Director, Center for Liberty and Global Prosperity, CATO Institute.

A TRANSATLANTIC POLICY CONVERSATION ON GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY. 11/23, Noon-1:30pm. Sponsor: Center for American Progress. Speakers: Dan Glickman, Vice President, Aspen Institute; Nancy Stetson, U.S. Special Representative for Global Food Security, U.S. Department of State; Richard Leach, President and CEO, World Food Program USA; Alexander Müller, Member of the German Council for Sustainable Development; Alexander Carius, Managing Director, Adelphi.

US COMBATING THE ISLAMIC STATE: IS A NEW STRATEGIC BLUEPRINT NEEDED? 11/23, Noon-2:00pm, Arlington, Virginia. Sponsor: Potomac Institute for Policy Studies. Speakers: Michael S. Swetnam, CEO, Chairman, Potomac Institute; Robert C. McFarlane; Former NSA to President Reagan, Co-Founder, US Energy Security Council; Keith J. Stalder, General (Ret.), USMC (Ret.), Former Commanding General, USMC Forces Pacific, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, Senior Fellow, Member, Board of Regents, Potomac Institute; Judith Yaphe, Former Senior Analyst, Office of Near Eastern and South Asian Analysis, Directorate of Intelligence, CIA, Professor, Elliot School, GWU; Dean Alexander, Director, Homeland Security Research Program , Professor, Homeland Security, School of Law Enforcement & Justice Administration, Western Illinois University.

‘Japan Lobby’ takes the gloves off in PR battle

BY  Jeff Kingston, director of Asian Studies, Temple University Japan and APP member

First published in THE JAPAN TIMES, October 31, 2015

The Sankei Shimbun advocates a more aggressive diplomatic stance on history issues and this dovetails with the mission of Japan Conference, a reactionary organization that includes numerous lawmakers. From their perspective, Japan has been too reticent and polite on the world stage and the gloves need to come off.

It never seems to occur to them that this might be a counterproductive strategy and that on history issues it leaves Japan vulnerable to criticisms of promoting an exonerating narrative that glorifies wartime and colonial excesses.

But Japan is not exactly a public-diplomacy wallflower. The Japanese government, foundations and firms have developed an influential network in the United States that dates back to the 1970s. That era of acrimonious trade frictions spawned what American scholar Robert Angel has dubbed the “Japan Lobby,” a multipronged public- and private-sector effort to shape U.S. policy and attitudes. ProPublica estimates that total Japanese spending on lobbying and public relations was a whopping $4.2 billion in 2008, putting Japan third behind the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom, while South Korea ranked eighth with $2.9 billion.

Like many of my university colleagues in Japan and the U.S., in September I was sent copies of two books from Liberal Democratic Party Upper House lawmaker Kuniko Inoguchi — “History Wars: Japan — False Indictment of the Century,” which was compiled and published by the Sankei Shimbun [and written by Yoshihisa Komori, Sankei reporter-at-large in Washington, DC], and “Getting Over It! Why Korea Needs to Stop Bashing Japan,” by Takushoku University professor Sonfa Oh. It turns out that this thinly veiled attempt at propaganda was also sent to the foreign press corps in Tokyo, but it’s not clear which organization paid for this extravagant gesture. The U.S.-registered nonprofit Global Alliance for Historical Truth, however, claims credit for the distribution of “History Wars” on its website.

It is unlikely that these polemical jeremiads will convince anyone to change their mind. The tone of the Sankei book is closer to unhinged ranting rather than reasoned argumentation and stretches credulity in asking to be taken seriously. It trots out the familiar assertion that there is no documentary proof of coerced recruitment of “comfort women,” but undermines its own case by acknowledging that Dutch women were coercively recruited by force. The soldiers involved were convicted solely on the testimony of these white comfort women while testimony by Korean comfort women about coercive recruitment is dismissed outright — an unseemly double-standard that speaks volumes about Sankei’s bias.

The Sankei book also points out that in 1993 when the Kono statement acknowledging state responsibility for coercive recruitment of comfort women was issued, the government clearly defined coercion as including threats and intimidation. This is an awkward point given the Sankei’s disingenuous efforts to downplay the comfort women issue by focusing exclusively on denying coercive recruitment involving physical force. The Sankei apparently thinks that if it can redefine coercion and convince everyone that there were no comfort women recruited at bayonet point, then Japan can wriggle off this hook of history as if the entire sordid system is not the issue.


Korean scholar Park Yu-ha, who is often cited by Japanese conservatives, refers to archival documents that prove private recruiters, including Japanese civilians dressed in military uniform, recruited comfort women through intimidation and deception at the behest of Japanese military authorities. She believes the Korean women who testify that they were coercively recruited, and also maintains that Chinese women and others across Asia were pressed into sexual service through coercion. Park also wants the Diet to issue an apology to the comfort women.

Moreover, scholar C. Sarah Soh also found that in battlefront areas wherever Japanese troops were stationed, local women were forced to serve in improvised comfort stations. It is also documented that the military transported the comfort women to the comfort stations on military bases where they were denied freedom of movement. So what exactly is the Sankei’s point?

The Sankei is also up in arms about China’s alleged backing of a comfort woman statue and Pacific War Museum in San Francisco [WWII Pacific War Memorial Hall, the first overseas anti-Japanese war memorial, VIDEO], apparently misunderstanding the local politics that drive these initiatives. It conveniently overlooks how, in 2013, Toru Hashimoto, as mayor of Osaka, sister city of San Francisco, drew the ire of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and city residents with his apologist comments about the comfort women system.

Raising the alarm about ongoing “History Wars” being waged in the United States, the Sankei asserts that China is orchestrating discord between the U.S. and Japan over history. If so, Beijing is doing a lousy job as more Americans by far distrust China: Only 38 percent of Americans have a high opinion of China while 74 percent have a favorable view of Japan. Tokyo’s best bet here is just to get out of the way and enjoy China’s self-inflicted wounds. It’s time Tokyo grasped that attacking criticism of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his historical views as anti-Japanese, makes it look both paranoid and malicious.

San Francisco Bay Area activists assert that before the board unanimously approved the comfort women memorial in September, the Japan Lobby was vigorously working behind the scenes to kill the resolution. Locals privately assert that there was an anti-statue campaign of disinformation, and that local Japanese-American organizations were pressured to lobby against the resolution, with continued Japanese corporate funding hanging in the balance.

The board disregarded allegations about incidents of discrimination and bullying targeting ethnic Japanese children in Glendale, California, after a comfort woman statue was erected there. Glendale authorities dismissed these unsubstantiated claims by opponents to the statue, pointing out there were no reports to schools or police at the time. It seems that Japan would do better to shrug off these comfort women statue and memorial initiatives because intervention seems to backfire, throwing fuel on the fires of recrimination over the shared East Asian past thereby ensuring that more will be built.

So what should we make of the newly established organization Voices of Vietnam, a well-funded group that has hired former Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman [lobbyist with Hogan Lovells, Embassy of Japan's longtime lobbying firm] to serve as point-man in demanding President Park Geun-hye apologize for Vietnamese comfort women who served some 320,000 South Korean soldiers fighting at the behest of Washington in the Vietnam War? This organization held a press conference on Oct. 15 in connection with Park’s summit with U.S. President Barack Obama. In a Fox News op-ed published on the eve of the summit [President Park should publicly apologize for South Korea's sexual violence in Vietnam], Coleman demanded Park apologize to the Vietnamese victims of Korean sexual predations: “Failing to make such an unequivocal apology would only undermine President Park’s moral authority as she presses Japan to apologize for the sexual violence perpetrated against South Korean ‘comfort women’ during World War II.”

Apparently whacking Park is the main mission of an organization that seems, rather curiously, to have sprung up out of nowhere, according to sources in the Vietnamese diaspora in the U.S.

Certainly, amends to these women — there are an estimated 800 survivors — and the thousands of children of mixed ancestry born to them, are in order, but why hasn’t Coleman spoken out about the far larger, similar problem involving U.S. soldiers? And, given the expense of hiring ex-senators to be lobbyists, as the Japanese government has already done with Tom Daschle, who is paying the bills here?

Monday in Washington, November 16, 2015

6th ANNUAL GLOBAL SECURITY FORUM. 11/16, 8:00am-3:30pm. Sponsor: CSIS. Speakers: John O. Brennan, Director, CIA; Thomas Pickering, Former Ambassador to UN, Russian Federation, India, Israel, and Jordan; Michael Vickers, Former Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence; Michael Green, Senior Vice President for Asia and Japan Chair, CSIS, Christopher Johnson, Senior Adviser, Freeman Chair in China Studies, CSIS; Kathleen Hicks, Senior Vice President, Henry A. Kissinger Chair, Director, International Security Program (ISP), CSIS; Denis Bovin, Senior Advisor, Evercore Partners; William Lynn, CEO, Finmeccanica North America and DRS Technologies, Vago Muradian, Editor, Defense News; Eric Schwartz, Dean, Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota; Tina Jonas, Former Undersecretary of Defense, Senior Adviser, ISP, CSIS; Steve Kosiak, Former Associate Director for Defense and International Affairs, Office of Management and Budget; Charlene Barshefsky, Former U.S. Trade Representative, Senior International Partner, WilmerHale; Scott Miller, Senior Adviser, Scholl Chair in International Business, CSIS; Michael Cohen, Head of Energy Commodities Research, Barclays; Michelle Patron, Former Senior Director for Energy and Climate, NSC; Adam Sieminski, Administrator, U.S. Energy Information Administration; Michael Wittner, Managing Director, Global Head, Oil Market Research, Societe Generale Corporate & Investment Banking; Jason Cone, Executive Director, Médecins Sans Frontières, USA; Rebecca Hersman, Director, Project on Nuclear Issues, Senior Adviser, ISP, CSIS; Robert Mardini, Regional Director for Middle East, Red Cross; Derek Chollet, Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, Counselor, Senior Advisor, Security and Defense Policy, German Marshall Fund; Paula Dobriansky, Former Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs, Senior Fellow, Belfer Center, Harvard University; Mackenzie Eaglen, Resident Fellow, AEI; Daniel Kurtz-Phelan, Fellow, ISP, New America; Henry Kissinger, Former Secretary of State and NSA; John Hamre, President and CEO, CSIS; Moderators: Olga Oliker, Senior Adviser, Director, Russia and Eurasia Program, CSIS; Andrew Hunter, Director, Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group, Senior Fellow, ISP, CSIS; Todd Harrison, Director, Defense Budget Analysis, Senior Fellow, ISP, CSIS; Ernie Bower, Senior Adviser, Sumitro Chair for Southeast Asian Studies, CSIS; Sarah Ladislaw, Director, Energy and National Security Program, CSIS; Frank Verrastro, Senior Vice President, James R. Schlesinger Chair for Energy & Geopolitics, CSIS; Steve Morrison, Senior Vice President, Director, Global Health Policy Center, CSIS.

U.S.-CHINA ENERGY COOPERATION: RISKS, OPPORTUNITIES, AND SOLUTIONS. 11/16, 9:00am-5:15pm, Lunch, Washington, DC. Sponsor: Hudson Institue. Speakers: Yossie Hollander, Co-Founder, Fuel Freedom Foundation; Michael Pillsbury, Senior Fellow and Director for Chinese Strategy, Hudson; Liu Qiang, Secretary-General, Global Forum on Energy Security; Fuqiang Yang, Senior Advisor on Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Natural Resources Defense Council’s China Program; Damien Ma, Fellow, Paulsen Institute; Gal Luft, Co-Director, Institute for Analysis of Global Security; J.J. Fletcher, Director, U.S.-China Energy Center & Natural Resource Analysis Center, West Virginia University; Anne Korin, Co-Director, Institute for Analysis of Global Security; David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow, Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University; Jeremy Carl, Research Fellow, Hoover Institution; Arthur Herman, Senior Fellow, Hudson.

PROSPECTS FOR JAPAN-RUSSIA RELATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THE US-JAPAN ALLIANCE. 11/16, 9:15am-5:30pm. Sponsors: Sasakawa USA, Carnegie. Speakers: Dennis Blair, Chairman, CEO, Sasakawa USA; Douglas H. Paal, Vice President, Carnegie; Kazuhiko Togo, Director, Institute for World Affairs, Kyoto Sangyo University; Alexander Nikolaevich Panov, Professor, Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MSIIR); Yasuhiro Izumikawa, Professor, Faculty of Policy Studies, Chuo University; Vasili Kashin, Senior Analyst, Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies; Georgy Toloraya, Director, Asia Strategy Center, Institute of Economics, Russian Academy of Sciences; Eugene Rumer, Director, Senior Associate, Russia and Eurasia Program, Carnegie; Edward Chow, Senior Fellow, Energy and National Security Program, CSIS; Alexander Gabuev, Senior Associate, Chair, Russia in the Asia-Pacific Program, Carnegie Moscow Center; Irina Timonina, Professor, Institute of Business Studies, Moscow; Taisuke Abiru, Research Fellow, Tokyo Foundation; Frank Jannuzi, President, CEO, Mansfield Foundation; Narushige Michishita, Director, Security and International Studies Program, Professor, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies; Dmitry Streltsov, Director of Japan Studies, MSSIR; Moderators: Jeffrey Hornung, Fellow, Security and Foreign Affairs Program, Sasakawa USA; Daniel Bob, Senior Fellow, Sasakawa USA; James L. Schoff, Senior Associate, Asia Program, Carnegie.

EUROPE'S ORPHAN: THE FUTURE OF THE EURO AND THE POLITICS OF DEBT. 11/16, 12:30-2:00pm. Sponsor: SAIS, Johns Hopkins University. Speaker: Martin Sandbu, Economics Leader Writer, Financial Times.

WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE DEBATE OVER AMERICAN GRAND STRATEGY? 11/16, 4:30pm. Sponsor: Institute of World Politics (IWP). Speaker: Carnes Lord, Professor of Strategic Leadership, Naval War College and director of the Naval War College Press and editor of the Naval War College Review.

POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC TRENDS IN KAZAKHSTAN: RISKS, THREATS, AND PROSPECTS. 11/16, 4:30-6:00pm. Sponsor: Central Asia Program (CAP), GWU. Speaker: Dossym Satpaev, Kazakhstani Analyst.

A WORLD IN CRISIS: HOW CAN SMART POWER MAKE A DIFFERENCE? 11/16, 5:00-6:00pm, Washington, DC. Sponsor: British Council. Speaker: Ciarán Devane, Chief Executive, British Council.

KOREA CLUB WITH DR. CHANIL AN: NORTH KOREA AND NORTH KOREAN HUMAN RIGHTS AFTER THE SEVENTH WORKERS’ PARTY CONGRESS. 11/16, 6:30-9:00pm, Dinner, Vienna, Virginia. Sponsor: Korea Economic Institute. Speaker: Dr. Chanil An, President, North Korea Research Center.

POLICY BY OTHER MEANS: A REVIEW OF DOD’S LAW OF WAR MANUAL. 11/16, 7:00pm, Dinner, Arlington, VA. Sponsor: National Security Law Journal. Speakers: Matthew McCormack, Associate General Counsel, U.S. Department of Defense; Dr. Nicholas Rostow, Research Professor, National Defense University; Tom Bowman, Pentagon Reporter, National Public Radio.

Prime Minister of Japan’s Schedule May 11-17, 2015

Monday, May 11, 2015

AM
12:00 At private residence (no visitors)
08:00 At private residence in Tomigaya, Tokyo (no morning visitors)
09:39 Depart from private residence
09:51 Arrive at office
11:05 Meet with Governor of Nagasaki Prefecture Nakamura Hodo and Mayor of Sasebo City (Nagasaki Prefecture) Tomonaga Norio
11:20 End meeting with Mr. Nakamura and Mr. Tomonaga
11:24 Speak with New Grand Chamberlain of Imperial Household Agency Kawai Chikao, former Grand Chamberlain of Imperial Household Agency Kawashima Yutaka, and Grand Master of the Ceremonies of Imperial Household Agency’s Board of the Ceremonies Akimoto Yoshitaka
11:29 Finish speaking with Mr. Kawai, Mr. Kawashima and Mr. Akimoto
11:30 Meet with Chairman of Japan Association of Corporate Executives (Keizai Doyukai) Kobayashi Yoshimitsu, former Chairman of Japan Association of Corporate Executives (Keizai Doyukai) Hasegawa Yasuchika
11:46 End meeting with Mr. Kobayashi and Mr. Hasegawa

PM
12:03 Ruling Party Liaison Conference
12:25 Conference ends
01:50 Meet with Chairman of Science and Technology in Society (STS) Forum and former Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy Omi Koji, and LDP Lower House member Omi Asako
02:05 End meeting with Mr. Omi and Ms. Omi
03:55 Meet with Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy Amari Akira, Vice-Minister of Cabinet Office Matsuyama Kenji, and Cabinet Office Director-Generals for Policies on Cohesive Society Maekawa Mamoru, Habuka Shigeki and Tawa Hiroshi
04:15 End meeting with Mr. Amari, Mr. Matsuyama, Mr. Maekawa, Mr. Habuka, and Mr. Tawa
04:20 Phone Conference with Prime Minister of UK David Cameron. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretaries Kato Katsunobu and Seko Hiroshige also attend
04:30 Phone Conference ends
04:57 Depart from office
04:58 Arrive at Diet
04:59 Enter LDP President’s Office
05:00 LDP Officers Meeting
05:36 Meeting ends
05:46 Leave LDP President’s Office
05:47 Depart from Diet
05:49 Arrive at office
06:00 Chairman of Panel for Nuclear Power Renaissance Policy, Former President of University of Tokyo Akito Arima and others
06:18 End meeting with Mr. Akito
06:30 Depart from office
06:31 Arrive at official residence. Dinner meeting with Manager of Yomiuri Giants baseball team Tatsunori Hara and Minister in charge of Economic Revitalization Amari Akira
08:16 Mr. Tatsunori and Mr. Amari leave

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

AM
12:00 At official residence (no visitors)
08:00 At official residence (no morning visitors)
08:26 Deaprt from official residence
08:27 Arrive at office
08:32 Cabinet meeting
08:43 Cabinet meeting ends
08:54 Meet with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu
09:55 End meeting with Mr. Kato
11:34 Receive a request from the Headquarters for the Revitalization of Education of the LDP
11:52 Finish receiving the request

PM
12:53 Depart from office
12:55 Arrive at Diet
12:56 Enter Lower House Speaker’s Reception Room
01:00 Leave Lower House Speaker’s Reception Room, enter Lower House Chamber 

01:02 Attend the plenary session of the Lower House
02:50 The plenary session of the Lower House adjourns. Leave the Lower House Chamber
02:51 Depart from Diet
02:53 Arrive at office
03:25 Meet with LDP Upper House member Yamamoto Ichita
03:41 End meeting with Mr. Yamamoto
03:42 Meet with Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Saiki Akitaka
04:16 End meeting with Mr. Saiki
04:17 Meet with LDP Lower House member Nukaga Fukushiro
04:41 End meeting with Mr. Nukaga
04:42 Director of National Security Council (NSC) Yachi Shotaro, Director of Cabinet Intelligence Kitamura Shigeru, and Deputy Director-General of Public Security Intelligence Agency (PSIA) Sugiyama Haruki enter
04:58 Mr. Yachi and Mr. Sugiyama leave
05:15 Mr. Kitamura leaves
05:17 Hold the 5th meeting in 2015 of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy
06:17 Meeting ends
06:19 Depart from office
06:26 Arrive at Tokyo Prince Hotel in Shibakoen, Tokyo. Attend a party hosed by LDP Hosoda faction in banquet hall Ho-Oh-No-Ma within the hotel, deliver address
06:40 Depart from hotel
07:00 Arrive at Building 1-chome 3-bankan in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Informal talk with Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Takaichi Sanae, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Shimomura Hakubun, Chairperson of LDP Policy Research Council Inada Tomomi, and others in commentator Kin Birei’s office within the building
08:33 Depart from the building
08:55 Arrive at private residence in Tomigaya, Tokyo

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

AM
12:00 At private residence (no visitors)
08:00 At private residence in Tomigaya, Tokyo (no morning visitors)
08:32 Depart from private residence
08:47 Arrive at office
08:50 Meet with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Seko Hiroshige
09:31 End meeting with Mr. Seko
09:53 Depart from office
09:54 Arrive at Diet
09:55 Enter Upper House President’s Reception Room
09:57 Leave Upper House President’s Reception Room, enter Upper House Chamber
10:01 Attend the plenary session of the Upper House
11:41 Leave in the middle of the plenary session of the Upper House
11:43 Depart from the Diet
11:45 Arrive at the office

PM
12:56 Meet with LDP Secretary-General Tanigaki Sadakazu
01:30 End meeting with Mr. Tanigaki
02:09 Meet with Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) Shimomura Hakubun
02:36 End meeting with Mr. Shimomura
02:47 Depart from office
02:55 Arrive at Imperial Palace. Secret report to Emperor
04:03 Depart from Imperial Palace
04:12 Arrive at office
04:20 Meet with Director of National Security Council (NSC) Yachi Shotaro, MOFA’s Director-General of Foreign Policy Bureau Hiramatsu Kenji, and Ministry of Defense (MOD)’s Director-General of Bureau of Defense Policy Kuroe Tetsuro
04:45 End meeting with Mr. Yachi, Mr. Hiramatsu, and mr. Kuroe
05:51 Reception for Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Belgium Charles Michel. Commerorative photo session
05:52 Commerorative photo session ends
05:53 Attend a ceremony by the guard of honor
05:58 Ceremony ends
06:00 Japan-Belguim Summit Meeting with Prime Minister Charles Michel
06:50 Summit Meeting ends
06:51 Joint Press Release
07:05 Press Release ends
07:06 Depart from office
07:07 Arrive at official residence. Dinner meeting hosted by Prime Minister Abe Shinzo
08:33 See off Prime Minister Charles Michel

Thursday, May 14, 2015

AM
12:00 At official residence (no visitors)
08:00 At official residence (no morning visitors)
09:17 Depart from offcial residence
09:18 Arrive at office
09:19 Meet with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu
10:02 End meeting with Mr. Kato
10:16 Meet with Mayor of Sappora-city Akimoto Katsuhiro, Secretary-General for LDP in Upper House Date Chuichi, LDP Upper House member Hashimoto Seiko, and others
10:29 End meeting with Mr. Akimoto, Mr. Date, and Ms. Hashimoto
10:35 Deliver address for the inauguration of Ambassador of Japan to New Zealand, Cook Islands, and SamoaTakata Toshihisa and others
10:44 Finishing address
10:49 Meet with Minister in charge of Promoting Women’s Empowerment Arimura Haruko. Vice-Minister of Cabinet Office Matsuyama Kenji, Cabinet Office’s Director-General of Gender Equality Bureau Takegawa Keiko also attend
11:22 End meeting with Ms. Arimura
11:56 Receive a report on the development of the Legislation for Peace and Security by the ruling coalition from LDP Vice-President Komura Masahiko and Deputy Chief Representative of Komeito Kitagawa Kazuo. Minister for Foreign Affairs Kishida Fumio, Minister of Defense Nakatani Gen, and Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga Yoshihide also attend

PM
12:15 Finishing receiving the report
12:53 Depart from office
12:54 Arrive at Diet
12:56 Enter Lower House Speaker’s Reception Room
01:00 Leave Lower House Speaker’s Reception Room, enter Lower House Chamber
01:02 Attend the plenary session of the Lower House
03:06 The plenary session of the Lower House adjourns. Leave the Lower House Chamber
03:07 Depart from Diet
03:09 Arrive at office
04:21 The meeting of the Nine Ministers’ Group of National Security Council (NSC)
04:32 Meeting ends
04:41 Extraordinary Cabinet Meeting
04:51 Extraordinary Cabinet Meeting ends
05:03 Hold the 30th meeting of the Education Rebuilding Implementation Council
05:23 Meeting ends
06:00 Hold a press conference to mark the cabinet decision on the Legislation for Peace and Security
06:35 Press conference ends
06:36 Depart from office
06:37 Arrive at official residence

Friday, May 15, 2015

AM
12:00 At official residence (no visitors)
07:56 Depart from official residence
07:57 Arrive at office
08:28 Cabinet meeting
08:42 Cabinet meeting ends
08:44 Meet with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu
09:35 End meeting with Mr. Kato
09:54 Depart from office
09:56 Arrive at Diet
09:57 Enter Lower House Committee Room No. 17
10:00 Attend a meeting of the Committee on Economy, Trade and Industry of the Lower House

PM
12:04 Meeting adjourns
12:05 Leave Lower House Committee Room No.17
12:06 Depart from Diet
12:07 Arrive at office
12:09 Meet with Special Advisor to the Prime Minister Kimura Taro
12:15 End meeting with Mr. Kimura
12:53 Depart from office
12:55 Arrive at Diet
12:56 Enter Lower House Speaker’s Reception Room
12:57 Speak with Minister of Defense Nakatani Gen
12:59 Finish speaking with Mr. Nakatani
01:00 Leave Lower House Speaker’s Reception Room, enter Lower House Chamber
01:02 Attend the plenary session of the Lower House
02:42 Leave in the middle of the plenary session of the Lower House
02:43 Depart from Diet
02:44 Arrive at office
03:04 Meet with Director of Cabinet Intelligence Kitamura Shigeru
03:35 End meeting with Mr. Kitamura
03:52 Meet with Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Saiki Akitaka, Administrative Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Sugiyama Shinsuke, and Administrative Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Nagamine Yasumasa
04:24 End meeting with Mr. Saiki, Mr. Sugiyama, and Mr. Nagamine
04:25 Meet with Administrative Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Nagamine Yasumasa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)’s Director-General of International Cooperation Bureau Ishikane Kimihiro, Vice-Minister of Finance for International Affairs Yamasaki Tatsuo, Ministry of Finance (MOF)’s Deputy Vice-Minister Fukuda Junichi, and Director-General of MOF’s International Bureau Asakawa Masatsugu
05:06 End meeting with Mr. Nagamine, Mr. Ishikane, Mr. Yamasaki, Mr. Fukuda, and Mr. Asakawa
05:27 Depart from office
05:33 Arrive at Hotel Okura’s annex in Toranomon, Tokyo. Attend a a celebration of the establishment of the Robot Revolution Initiative Council in the banquet hall Orchard Room within the hotel, deliver address
05:46 Depart from hotel
05:51 Arrive at office
05:53 Meet with Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Saiki Akitaka
06:25 End meeting with Mr. Saiki
06:28 Depart from office
06:32 Arrive at Nippon Press Center Building in Uchisaiwai-cho, Tokyo. Attend “the gathering in memory of Abe shintaro with Prime Minister Abe Shinzo,” deliver address
08:02 Depart from the building
08:10 Arrive at Starbucks coffee Four Seas Pond Sanno Building Store. Dinner with President of Nippon Television Holdings, Inc Okubo Yoshio and President of Nikkei Visual Images, Inc. Akiyama Teruto, and others from the mass media
09:34 Depart from the store
09:48 Arrive at private residence in Tomigaya, Tokyo (no morning visitors)

Saturday, May 16, 2015

AM
12:00 At private residence in Tomigaya, Tokyo (no visitors)
06:52 Depart from private residence
07:17 Arrive at Haneda Airport
07:44 Depart from Haneda Airport by Flight 103, Japan Airlines. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Seko Hiroshige, Cabinet Advisor Honda Etsuro accompany Prime Minister
08:30 Arrive at Itami Airport
08:44 Depart from Itami Airport
09:28 Arrive at Higashi Yuenchi Park in Chuo-Ku, Kobe. Mayor of Kobe-city Hisamoto Kizo and others receive Prime Minister

09:30 Offer flowers at the Monument of Victims and Reconstruction in Higashi Yuenchi Park. Visit the Lights of Hope Monument. State Minister of Cabinet Office Nishimura Yasutoshi and other colleagues also attend
09:36 Finish vising the Monument
09:38 Depart from park
09:54 Arrive at a company that manufactures women’s shoes in Nagata-cho, Kobe. Visit the company
10:14 Depart from the company
10:33 Arrive at the Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution in Chuo-ku, Kobe. Governor of Hyogo Prefecture Ido Toshizo and Chairman of the Institution Kawata Yoshiaki recevie Prime Minister. Visit the institution.
10:50 Exchange views with volunteers
11:03 Depart from the institution
11:21 Arrive at Kobe Bay Sheraton Hotel in Chuo-ku, Kobe. Meet with female entrepreneurs in the banquet hall Moyasan within the hotel
11:42 Depart from hotel
11:51 Arrive at Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) Kobe Container Terminal. Visit

PM
12:02 Depart from Kobe Container Terminal
12:49 Arrive at Hotel Swisshotel Nankai Osaka in Chuo-ku, Osaka-city
12:50 Depart from the hotel
12:51 Arrive at Namba Station
01:00 Depart by Train Koya 9 from Namba Station
02:20 Arrive at Gokurakubashi Station
02:25 Depart from Gokurakubashi Station by cable car
02:31 Arrive at Koyasan Station
02:33 Depart from Koyasan Station
02:44 Arrive at the Koyasan Shingon Sect Main Temple Kongobu-ji in Koya-cho, Wakayama Prefecture. Governor of Wakayama Prefecture Nisaka Yoshinobu and others receive Prime Minister. Meet with members of the temple. Chairman of LDP General Council Nikai Toshihiro also attends
03:50 Depart from the temple
04:00 Arrive at Ekoin Temple in Koya-cho, Wakayama Prefecture. Exchange views with tourists from overseas and members of groups of licensed guide-interpreters
04:30 Interview open to all media: when asked, “how will today’s visit affect the future policy?” Mr. Abe answers, “ It is important to hand down the words and experience I heared from everyone. I will make the most of (the words and experience). And I will work hard to futher increase foreign tourists to Japan.”
04:34 Interview ends
04:35 Depart from the temple
05:27 Arrive at roadside rest area Kinokawa Manyounosato in Katsuragi-cho, Wakayama Prefecture. Rest
05:34 Depart from rest area
07:26 Arrive at Hotel Hamachidoiri-no-Yu-Kaishu
07:45 Dinner with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Seko Hiroshige, Chairman of LDP General Council Nikai Toshihiro, and other colleagues in resturant Shiosai within the hotel
09:44 Dinner ends

Sunday, May 17, 2015

AM
12:00 At hotel (visitors)
08:35 Depart from Hotel Hamachidoiri-no-Yu-Kaishu
09:17 Arrive at a section of National Route 311 in Tanabe City where work is underway to repair the road following a natural disaster. Visit. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Seko Hiroshige, Chairman of LDP General Council Nikai Toshihiro, and Governor of Wakayama Prefecture Nisaka Yoshinobu also attend
09:31 Depart from the site
09:51 Arrive at a forest planted by LDP Wakayama branch. Visit. Commorative photo session with Chairman of LDP General Council Nikai Toshihiro and others
09:54 Depart from the forest
09:57 Arrive at a worksite where the Nakahechi Town Forest Union is thinning forests. Test drove a processor and exchanged views with workers
10:10 Depart from the worksite
10:32 Arrive at Kumano Hongū Taisha (a Shinto shrine) in Tanabe City. Visit the shrine
11:00 Depart from the shrine
11:04 Arrive at Kumano Hongu Heritage Center. Vist the center.
11:17 Exchange views with Mayor of Tanabe City Manago Mitsutoshi and others
11:32 Finish exchanging views
11:41 Arrive at Oyunohara where Kumano Hongu Taisha was originally located at. Visit Oyunohara.
Noon Depart from Oyunohara

PM

12:23 Arrive at tourist facility Kodoaruki-no-sato-chikatsuyu. Lunch at resturant Kumanoji
12:55 Depart from resturant
01:49 Arrive at Hanwa Expressway Inami Service Area in Inami-cho, Wakayama Prefecture. Buy orange juice and other things in a shop
02:04 Depart from the Service Area
03:03 Arrive at fiber products manufacturing machine maker Shima Seiki in Wakayama-city. Visit. Try on a vest made by machine
03:36 Depart from the maker
04:27 Arrive at Kansai Airport
05:23 Depart from Kansai Aiport by Flight 26, StarFlyer
06:22 Arrive at Haneda Airport
06:39 Depart from Haneda Airport
07:11 Arrive at private residence in Tomigaya, Tokyo

Provisional Translation by Pengqiao Lu and Erin M. Jones