Shinzō Abe was Prime Minister of Japan for nearly eight years, the longest-serving premier in the country’s modern political history. The recent announcement of his resignation because of illness has initiated a new period of political uncertainty. The next administration is expected to maintain many of Abe’s policies, but there are some concerns as to whether Japan will be able to maintain the relative political stability of the Abe years.

In this webinar, Professor Machidori will look at why the Abe administration was able to achieve such longevity, in the context of political reforms that have taken place at the national level since the 1990s. Glen S. Fukushima will give us a US perspective on Japanese politics – the Abe administration’s record and prospects for US-Japan relations in light of the recent leadership changes in Japan and potential changes resulting from the US presidential election on 3 November.

Date: Tuesday 29 September 2020

UK Time: 12:00pm-1:00pm (GMT+1)
Japan Time: 8:00pm-9:00pm (GMT+9)
Washington, DC time: 7:00am-8:00am (GMT -4)

About the contributors

Professor Satoshi Machidori is a Professor of Political Science at the School of Government and Faculty of Law, Kyoto University. His research focusses on comparative institutional analysis of Japanese and American politics. His publications include Shushō Seiji no Seido Bunseki (The Japanese Premiership: An Institutional Analysis of the Power Relations), winner of the 2012 Suntory Award, and Seiji Kaikaku Saikō (Political Reform Reconsidered). He is a co-author of Examining Japan’s Lost Decades, edited by Yōichi Funabashi and Barak Kushner. His articles in English have appeared in the Journal of East Asian Studies, Japan Echo, and Nippon.com. He studied at Kyoto University and the University of Wisconsin.

Glen S. Fukushima is a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C., where he focuses on U.S.-East Asia relations. From 1990 to 2012, he represented several multinational corporations in Asia: Vice President, AT&T Japan; President, Arthur D. Little Japan; President & CEO, Cadence Design Systems Japan; President & CEO, NCR Japan; and President & CEO, Airbus Japan. He served two terms as President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan. Before his business career, he worked for the US government as Director for Japanese Affairs (1985-1988) and Deputy Assistant USTR for Japan and China (1988-1990) at the Office of the United States Trade Representative. His publications include Nichi-Bei Keizai Masatsu no Seijigaku (The Politics of U.S.-Japan Economic Friction), winner of the 1993 Masayoshi Ohira Memorial Prize. He studied at Stanford University, Harvard University, and the Harvard School of Law.

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