We are delighted to welcome James D.J. Brown to brief Japan Society members on Japan’s cooperation with Russia against the background of the growing threat from China and North Korea and amidst heightened concerns of the long-term reliability of the US.

On most international issues, Japan’s foreign policy broadly tracks that of its U.S. ally and other Western partners. However, with regard to Russia, Japan under Prime Minister Abe has become an outlier within the G-7 as highlighted by the recent Putin-Abe summit in Osaka. While most Western countries applied tough sanctions after Russia’s annexation of Crimea, Japan introduced only token measures and continued with a policy of close cooperation. Abe also describes Russian President Vladimir Putin as someone who is “dear to me as a partner”. James Brown will describe the features of the Abe administration’s distinctive Russia policy and analyse its underlying causes. He will also offer conclusions about what this says more broadly regarding Japan as a contemporary international actor.

We are very grateful to Mizuho for kindly hosting this event.

Dr James D.J. Brown is an associate professor of Political Science at Temple University, Japan Campus. He holds a PhD from the University of Aberdeen, as well as postgraduate degrees from the universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow. His undergraduate degree is from the University of York. He was a recipient of a Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation Scholarship in 2011. Dr Brown has published widely on the topic of Japan-Russia relations, including in the journals of International Affairs, Asia Policy, International Politics, and Europe-Asia Studies. His two most recent books are Japan, Russia and their Territorial Dispute: The Northern Delusion (Routledge 2017) and Japan’s Foreign Relations in Asia, edited with Jeff Kingston (Routledge 2018). He writes op-eds for The Nikkei Asian Review, The Japan Times, and The Diplomat, and he is regularly quoted in the media, including by The Financial Times, The New York Times, The Economist, and The Wall Street Journal. He has lived in Japan since 2011.

The talk will be followed by a drinks reception from 7:30pm.

To reserve your place, please call the Japan Society office on 020 3075 1996, email events@japansociety.org.uk or submit the online booking form.

In association with Mizuho:

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Booking deadline: Friday 23 August