Japan finds itself at a critical crossroads. With recent leadership change in Tokyo, an increasingly challenging strategic environment, and its defence expenditure projected to double, Japan is reshaping its strategic posture in ways not seen in decades. Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s return to the U.S. presidency following the November 2024 election has raised fresh questions about the future of the U.S.-Japan alliance - long regarded as the cornerstone of regional security - and the implications for alliances, regional stability, and global order. Against this backdrop, the ever-closer Australia-Japan security partnership is taking on heightened importance, with some observers now likening it to a de facto alliance. In this panel discussion, four leading Japanese experts will explore these developments, their potential impact on Indo-Pacific security, and what they mean for the evolving Australia-Japan security relationship.

Speakers
Dr. Michito Tsuruoka, Associate Professor, Faculty of Policy Studies, Keio University and Deputy Director, Keio Center for Strategy (KCS)
Dr. Michito Tsuruoka specializes in international security and contemporary European politics. He studied politics and international relations at Keio University and Georgetown University and holds a PhD in War Studies from King’s College London. Dr. Tsuruoka served as an advisor for NATO at the Embassy of Japan in Belgium (2005–2008) and as a Resident Fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States (2009). Prior to joining Keio, he was a Research Fellow and Senior Research Fellow at the National Institute for Defense Studies (NIDS), Ministry of Defense, from 2009 to 2017. While at NIDS, he served as Deputy Director of the International Policy Division, Bureau of Defense Policy, and as a Visiting Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). He was a Visiting Fellow at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre (SDSC), The Australian National University, from 2023 to 2024.

Professor Satoru Mori, Faculty of Law, Keio University, and Deputy Director, Keio Center for Strategy (KCS)
Professor Satoru Mori focuses on U.S. Asian strategy, U.S.-China and Japan-U.S. relations, and defence innovation. He earned a bachelor’s degree in law from Kyoto University, master’s degrees from Kyoto University and Columbia University, and a doctorate in law from the University of Tokyo. Professor Mori previously served in Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and held academic roles at Hosei University. He has been a Senior Researcher at the Nakasone Peace Institute since 2018 and served as a Special Advisor and Senior Fellow at the National Security Secretariat (2016–2019). He is currently a member of the Ministry of Defense New Defense Policy Roundtable and has been involved in expert reviews of Japan’s defense strategy.

Dr. Ayumi Teraoka, Postdoctoral Research Scholar, Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
Dr. Ayumi Teraoka is a scholar of alliance politics and Indo-Pacific security. She is a fellow with the Columbia-Harvard China and the World Program (2024–2025) and teaches Japanese Foreign Policy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). Her current book project examines U.S. alliance management and China’s counter-strategies in Asia. Dr. Teraoka’s research has been supported by leading foundations and has been published in academic journals and outlets such as Foreign Policy and The Japan Times. She holds a PhD and MA in Security Studies from Princeton University, an MA in Asian Studies from Georgetown University, and a BA in Law from Keio University. She previously worked at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Council on Foreign Relations.

Dr. Tomohiko Satake, Associate Professor, School of International Politics, Economics and Communication (SIPEC), Aoyama Gakuin University
Dr. Tomohiko Satake specializes in Asia-Pacific security, international relations, and Japanese and Australian security policies. He holds a BA and MA from Keio University and a PhD in International Relations from The Australian National University. Dr. Satake was previously a Senior Research Fellow at Japan’s National Institute for Defense Studies (NIDS) and worked as Deputy Director for International Security in the Defense Policy Bureau of Japan’s Ministry of Defense.

Chair
Dr. Lauren Richardson, Lecturer, Department of International Relations, ANU Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs.

Image credit: LSIS Rikki-Lea Phillips, Royal Australian Navy. "HMAS Stuart RPD 24-4 Exercise Malabar 24 Sea Phase." © Commonwealth of Australia 2024. Accessed via Department of Defence Imagery Gallery.