Nicholas Szechenyi

Oct 28, 2024 | csis.org | Nicholas Szechenyi |Yuko Nakano |Japan Chair

Japan held a general election for the lower house of the National Diet (Japan’s parliament) on October 27, following Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru’s decision to call for a snap election shortly after his victory in the contested leadership race of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) last month. The LDP and its junior coalition partner Komeito lost their majority, which will likely increase pressure on Ishiba from both his detractors in the LDP and political opposition.

Sep 27, 2024 | csis.org | Nicholas Szechenyi |Yuko Nakano |Japan Chair

Today Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) elected Ishiba Shigeru as its new leader, with a parliamentary vote set for October 1 to officially appoint Ishiba as the new prime minister. Ishiba prevailed over eight other candidates in a contested leadership race after Kishida Fumio chose not to seek reelection after nearly three years in office.

Sep 26, 2024 | csis.org | Christopher Johnstone |Nicholas Szechenyi |Japan Chair

The U.S.-Japan security alliance is on a roll—and has been for several years across multiple administrations. Although strong during the Obama administration, the alliance deepened significantly under President Trump. In a rapidly deteriorating regional security environment, hardening U.S. policy toward China brought Washington into tighter alignment with Tokyo on the need to address Chinese revisionist behavior and strengthen deterrence.

Aug 16, 2024 | csis.org | Christopher Johnstone |Nicholas Szechenyi |Yuko Nakano |Japan Chair

In a move that stunned Japan’s political world, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio announced on August 14 that he would not seek reelection as leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in September—a decision that effectively ends his tenure as prime minister. Kishida will leave behind a legacy of historic change in Japan’s defense and national security policies that won respect from the Biden administration.

Jul 11, 2024 | features.csis.org | Christopher Johnstone |Nicholas Szechenyi |Leah Klaas

By Christopher Johnstone, Nicholas Szechenyi, and Leah Klaas | July 11, 2024 In the last few years, Japan has taken historic steps to strengthen its defense posture and in turn the U.S.-Japan alliance, which has entered a period of unprecedented integration. This is a far cry from the time of the alliance’s origins in 1951.