On 12 October 2023, UNU will host “Japan's Foreign Policy in Turbulent Times”, a conversation with Kuniko Inoguchi, Member of the House of Councillors of Japan, representing Chiba Prefecture, Chairperson of the Research Committee on Foreign Affairs and National Security, and Professor Emeritus, Sophia University. The event will start at 18:30 in the 2F Reception Hall at the UNU Headquarters in Tokyo.
Japan plays a key role in the geopolitics of the Asia-Pacific region. While Japan’s traditional alliances remain strong, Japan’s relationships with rising powers will increasingly determine the direction of its foreign policy over the next decade. Increasing rivalry among major powers presents tough choices for policymakers.
Ms. Kuniko Inoguchi will join UNU Rector Tshilidzi Marwala to discuss the foreign policy of Japan in a period of heightened geopolitical risk. What role can Japan play in resolving conflicts? How can Japan's foreign policy promote peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond?
The UNU Conversation Series aims to foster audience participation; you are encouraged to engage with the speakers during the conversation and at the reception that will follow, where all audience members are invited to enjoy hors d’oeuvres and drinks while exchanging ideas and making new contacts.
Please note that this event will be in English. Advance registration (by 11 October) is required. Please click on the REGISTER button above to access the online registration page.
Also note that entry into the venue will not be allowed after 18:45. Please be prepared to present identification at check-in.
About the speaker
Kuniko Inoguchi is a member of the House of Councillors in the National Diet of Japan, representing Chiba Prefecture. She is the Chairperson of the Research Committee on Foreign Affairs and National Security and member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence.
She was appointed Minister of State for Gender Equality and Social Affairs (2005 to 2006) and elected as Member of the House of Representatives (2005 to 2009). She also served as Acting Director-General of the International Bureau of the Liberal Democratic Party.
Prior to her political appointments, she served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Head of the Delegation of Japan to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, Switzerland (2002 to 2004). She also served in the post of President of the Conference on Disarmament (2003), and Chairperson of the First UN Biennial Meeting of States for Small Arms and Light Weapons (2003).
Prior to her appointment as Ambassador, she taught first as Associate Professor, then Professor of Political Science in the Faculty of Law at Sophia University, Tokyo (1981 to 2002). During this period, she also spent time as a Fulbright Visiting Fellow at Harvard University's Center for International Affairs. She received her PhD in Political Science from Yale University (1982), MA from Yale University (1977), and BA from Sophia University (1975).
