Understanding Japan's New Strategic Posture in Asia: A Conversation with Dr. Hideaki Watanabe

Over the past year, Japan’s strategic and defense policy has been transformed by changes including the reinterpretation of Japan’s constitution for “collective self-defense,” the relaxation of Japan’s defense exports rules, and the June announcement of a major new Strategy on Defense Production and Technological Bases. The recently established Ministry of Defense’s Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Agency (ATLA) has been central to the strategic shift.

On November 4, Hudson Institute hosted ATLA’s head commissioner, Dr. Hideaki Watanabe, in his first major public event introducing the new Japanese agency in the United States. Dr. Watanabe discussed the creation of ATLA, its larger mission inside the Ministry of Defense, and its part in enhancing Japan’s national security. The discussion also covered the role of ATLA in fostering a new direction for Japanese defense trade and meeting Japan’s present and future military procurement needs. Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Arthur Herman moderated the event.