SPF World Views

Strategic Responses to Cyber Threats in Japan and the World｜Chris Inglis, Former U.S. National Cyber Director

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0900

Today’s digital infrastructure powers almost everything we depend on, from hospitals and energy grids to supply chains, elections, and national security. But, that same infrastructure has become a strategic vulnerability.

In this episode, we're pleased to share the keynote address given by former U.S. National Cyber Director Chris Inglis at the Sasakawa–Yomiuri Global Forum held in Tokyo. Drawing on U.S. experience and speaking directly to Japan’s future, Mr. Inglis makes the case that no nation can prevent every cyber-attack, but every nation can build systems that are resilient, defensible, and supported by collaboration across government, industry, and allies.

You can read the full transcript of this episode on the SPF website.

Japan and the Future of Peace Mediation Support｜Dr. Akiko Horiba, Director, Center for Mediation Support

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 16:51:06 +0900

While global attention tends to focus on large-scale wars in places like Ukraine and Gaza, many other violent conflicts, often rooted in unresolved struggles over self-determination, continue largely out of sight.

On this episode of SPF World Views, we explore what it takes to pursue peace in this global moment. Our guest, Dr. Akiko Horiba, Director of SPF's Center for Mediation Support, draws on decades of field experience to discuss the concept of peace mediation support, Japan's potential role, and why lasting peace depends on addressing the root causes of conflict.

This conversation is especially timely, with the April 1 launch of SPF’s Center for Mediation Support, which aims to strengthen Japan’s efforts to support peace processes across Asia and beyond. At a time when military approaches dominate, this conversation offers a grounded perspective on the continued importance of dialogue, trust building, and inclusive engagement.

You can read the full transcript of this episode on the SPF website.

This interview was recorded on February 26, 2026.

Show Notes:

To learn more about the Center for Mediation Support, visit the center's page on the SPF website.

The Blue Economy in African Nations: Views from Japan (NHK World rebroadcast)｜SPF President Atsushi Sunami

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 19:03:12 +0900

This is part two of our special rebroadcast of NHK World programs looking at the concept of the blue economy. In part one, we explored Japan’s perspective. For part two, we turn our attention to countries in Africa.

TICAD9, an international conference held in August 2025, brought African nations and the Japanese government together for high‑level dialogue. One major focus was the blue economy, an approach that promotes economic growth and job creation through the sustainable use of marine resources.

This theme is especially relevant for countries in Africa. Marine resources and fisheries could play a major role in boosting food security, nutrition, jobs, and local industries. But there are also mounting threats from overfishing, illegal operations, habitat loss, and climate change.

For part two of our rebroadcast series, we’re sharing excerpts from “The Blue Economy in African Nations.” In the studio, SPF President Atsushi Sunami discusses how Japan, as a fellow maritime nation, can partner with countries in Africa to build a more resilient future through the blue economy.

You can read the full transcript of this episode on the SPF website and watch the original video on SPF's YouTube channel.

Blue Economy in the Ocean Super Year 2025: Views from Japan (NHK World rebroadcast)｜SPF President Atsushi Sunami

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 20:25:31 +0900

Around the world, our ocean is under immense pressure from climate change and plastic pollution to the depletion of critical resources. Against this backdrop, the “blue economy” has emerged as a key concept for addressing these challenges by bringing together economic growth and long‑term sustainability.

With this episode of SPF World Views, we're kicking off a special two‑part series featuring highlights from our Views from Japan special programs, which originally broadcast on NHK World last year.

In the first program, “Blue Economy in the Ocean Super Year 2025,” SPF President Atsushi Sunami explores Japan’s unique approach to the blue economy based on reports from across the country.

You can read the full transcript of this episode on the SPF website and watch the original video on SPF's YouTube channel.

Global Strategic Trends to 2055｜Richard Johnson, Defence Futures, U.K. Ministry of Defence

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 10:02:10 +0900

What will the strategic landscape look like 30 years from now? This question drives the creation of Global Strategic Trends (GST), a flagship report series that explores long-term outlooks and highlights potential challenges that could shape the decades ahead.

In this conversation, Mr. Richard Johnson from the Defence Futures team of the U.K. Ministry of Defence joins SPF Senior Research Fellow Ippeita Nishida to discuss what’s new in the latest edition of the GST report series, and how governments and partners worldwide are using these insights to test assumptions and rethink strategies for an uncertain future.

You can read the full transcript of this episode on the SPF website.

This conversation was recorded in February 2025.

Show Notes:

・Learn more about the Global Strategic Trends series, including an online edition of GST 7.
・Watch a video version of this interview on SPF's YouTube channel.

Japan and the Third Pole｜Dr. Santosh Kumar Rauniyar, Research Fellow, Ocean Policy Research Institute, SPF

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 14:54:42 +0900

In this episode, we welcome Dr. Santosh Kumar Rauniyar, research fellow for the Ocean Policy Research Institute (OPRI) of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation. He's been spearheading the projects at the foundation focusing on the Third Pole – a vast region also known as the Hindu Kush Himalaya, which contains the highest mountains in the world and the largest quantity of ice outside of the polar regions.

While melting ice caused by climate change is a shared issue among all polar regions, nearly 2 billion people depend on the water supplied from the Third Pole. In other words, the catastrophic melting of ice and the consequences for water sources in the Third Pole directly impact about one fifth of the global population.

In this episode, Santosh san outlines the unique challenges facing the Third Pole region. We also talk about how the Ocean Policy Research Institute is working to bring together stakeholders at international gatherings, like the Inter-Polar Conference and COP30, to share findings and work toward collaborative solutions.

You can read the full transcript of this episode on the SPF website.

Takaichi, Trump, and the Future of Japan-U.S. Ties｜ Tsuneo "Nabe" Watanabe, SPF Senior Fellow

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 20:48:16 +0900

Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, just one week after taking office, has faced her first major diplomatic test – a summit meeting in Japan with U.S. President Donald Trump during his closely watched Asia tour. In this episode, SPF Senior Fellow Tsuneo "Nabe" Watanabe breaks down the outcomes of their meeting and discusses the economic and security implications for the Japan-U.S. relationship.

You can read the full transcript of this episode on the SPF website.

Japan’s Capacity Building Initiatives for UN Peace Operations｜Mr. Atul Khare, UN Under-Secretary General for Operational Support

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 16:20:51 +0900

In this episode of SPF World Views, we're sharing a special rebroadcast of the keynote speech given by Atul Khare, UN Under-Secretary General for Operational Support, at a recent event at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation. In his remarks, he reflects on the 10th anniversary of the UN Triangular Partnership Programme, discusses Japan's contributions to these efforts, and looks to the future of peacekeeping in a rapidly changing world.

You can read the full transcript of this episode on the SPF website.

Supporting Social Enterprises in the Philippines｜Prof. Carlo Sagun, President and CEO, Bayan Family of Foundations

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 12:58:19 +0900

Our guest today is Professor Carlo Sagun, President and CEO of Bayan Family of Foundations (BFF) in the Philippines. In this conversation, we take a deep dive into what exactly it means to add the word “social” to “enterprise," "entrepreneur," and "entrepreneurship.” We also discuss how these social enterprises — or what he calls a heart with a business — can support sustainable development in the Philippines, and the potential to use the lessons learned across the region.

You can read the full transcript of this episode on the SPF website.

Global Crisis in 2025 and Beyond｜Dr. Comfort Ero, President of the International Crisis Group

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 14:45:50 +0900

In this episode of SPF World Views, Dr. Comfort Ero, President of the International Crisis Group, and SPF Senior Research Fellow Ippeita Nishida dive into the current state of global crises around the world and their impact on Japan. Their discussion covers the ongoing conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, the intensifying U.S.-China rivalry and Trump 2.0, the implications for the Global South, and more.

You can read the full transcript of this episode on the SPF website.

The Second Trump Presidency: Views from Japan (NHK World rebroadcast)｜Ambassador Kenichiro Sasae and SPF President Atsushi Sunami

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 16:55:19 +0900

In this episode of SPF World Views, we're excited to share a rebroadcast of a special program aired on NHK World earlier in January called “The Second Trump Presidency: Views from Japan.” In this program, I had the opportunity to speak with Ambassador Kenichiro Sasae, president of the Japan Institute of International Affairs and Japan's former ambassador to the United States, and Dr. Atsushi Sunami, president of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation.

You can read the full transcript of this episode on the SPF website and watch the original video on SPF's YouTube channel.

Japan and the U.S. Presidential Election｜Nobukatsu Kanehara, Executive Director, Sasakawa Peace Foundation

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 20:15:26 +0900

Our guest today is Nobukatsu Kanehara, Executive Director of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation. Kanehara san has decades of experience in Japanese government, serving in a variety of positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and later in the Cabinet of Japan, including as Assistant Chief Cabinet Secretary to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe from 2012 to 2019. In our conversation, we discuss how Japan is watching the U.S. presidential election, and how the country might approach a potential Trump or Harris administration. This interview was recorded on October 23, two weeks out from election day in the U.S. and just prior to the Japanese general election, which was held on October 27.

You can read the full transcript of this episode on the SPF website.

Inclusive disaster recovery and local development in Palu City｜Hadianto Rasyid, Mayor of Palu City

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 16:43:28 +0900

Our guest today is Hadianto Rasyid, Mayor of Palu City, located in the province of Central Sulawesi in eastern Indonesia. In 2018, Central Sulawesi was hit by a triple disaster: a magnitude 7.5 earthquake followed by a tsunami and mudslides caused by liquefaction that devastated Palu City and the wider region. In this episode, Ayaka Matsuno, director of the Social Innovation Program at SPF, speaks with Mayor Rasyid about the city’s emergence from this triple disaster, his strategy to use social media to jumpstart dialogue between the government and the local community, and his vision for a more inclusive Palu City.

You can read the full transcript of this episode on the SPF website.

Climate change mitigation and migration in the Maldives｜Dr. Aishath Shehenaz Adam, Vice Chancellor of the Maldives National University

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 18:31:22 +0900

For small island states, rising sea levels and erosion caused by climate change pose an existential threat. The Maldives, a country of nearly 200 inhabited islands dotting the Indian Ocean is one such country. Current estimates predict that the Maldives, which has an average elevation of 1.5 meters above sea level, could be fully submerged by the end of the century.

The government of the Maldives has spearheaded a unique initiative around an artificial island created near the capital city of Malé. Residents have been encouraged to migrate to this new island to ease congestion in the country’s population centers. This also has the added benefit of protecting residents from rising sea levels.

To learn more about this new type of migration, SPF joined the Maldives National University and partners for a joint research project analyzing the motivations for people moving to this new island. To learn more about the results of this research, we spoke to Dr. Aishath Shehenaz Adam, Vice Chancellor of the Maldives National University.

You can read the full transcript of this episode on the SPF website.

Translating Japan's war records into English｜Dr. Haruo Tohmatsu, Professor of Diplomatic and War History, National Defense Academy

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 17:37:49 +0900

Eighty years ago in the spring of 1944 on the border between modern day Myanmar and the states of Manipur and Nagaland in Northeast India, Japanese and British forces fought in what is regarded as some of the fiercest clashes of WWII. The Battle of Imphal in Manipur and the Battle of Kohima in Nagaland are now regarded as one of the crucial turning points in the Asia-Pacific War, marking a brutal defeat of Japanese forces as they sought to invade India.

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Haruo Tohmatsu, Professor of Diplomatic and War History at the National Defense Academy. He led the project to translate a selection from Japan’s war records, which is called the Senshi Sosho in Japanese. This is perhaps the first time that these important materials covering the Japanese campaign in Northeast India have been made available in English.

As we near the conclusion of this translation project, we are pleased to share our original conversation with Dr. Tohmatsu, which was recorded in New Delhi during the initial book launch for the Senshi Sosho translation in 2022, followed by a quick update recorded more recently in Japan.

You can read the full transcript of this episode on the SPF website.

Japan-U.S. relations at “history’s turning point”｜Tsuneo Watanabe, Senior Fellow, Security Studies Program

Sat, 13 Apr 2024 13:15:43 +0900

Our guest today is Tsuneo “Nabe” Watanabe, senior fellow of the Security Studies Program at SPF. He joined us to talk about the recent state visit by Japanese Prime Minister Kishida to the U.S. Both sides have said that Japan-U.S. relations are closer now than ever, but at the same time, challenges posed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, provocations from North Korea, and recent moves by China, to name a few, have brought us to what Prime Minister Kishida called a turning point in history.

In our conversation, Nabe san breaks down the main outcomes of the visit and considers the implications in the U.S., Japan, and across the Indo-Pacific.

You can read the full transcript of this episode on the SPF website.

Masculinity and the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda｜Maho Nakayama, Director of SPF’s Peacebuilding Program

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 18:03:57 +0900

In October 2000, the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda was formally initiated by the landmark UN Security Council Resolution 1325, which recognizes the critical role of women in preventing and resolving conflicts. The evidence shows that when women participate in peace processes, outcomes improve. As one example, when women participate in peace agreements, the chances of that agreement lasting longer than two years is increased by 20%, and the chances of lasting longer than 15 years goes up by 35%.

While the international community has largely rallied behind the WPS agenda, the reality is that women continue to be excluded from peacebuilding processes and face the devastating consequences of conflicts around the world.

So what is standing in the way of progress with the WPS agenda? One possibility may be engaging men in this process and better understanding how masculinity impacts peacebuilding.

This brings us to our conversation with Maho Nakayama, director of the Peacebuilding Program at SPF. The Peacebuilding Program has been conducting joint research looking into gender equality, peacebuilding, and masculinity based on extensive on-the-ground surveys conducted in three post-conflict areas in Indonesia and the Philippines. Ms. Nakayama discusses how this research illuminates new ideas about the perceptions of gender roles and masculinity, and what that might mean for the future of the WPS agenda.

You can read the full transcript of this episode on the SPF website.

Gender equality and the G20｜Ayaka Matsuno, Director of SPF’s Gender Investment and Innovation Program

Fri, 15 Sep 2023 19:33:57 +0900

The G20 Summit in New Delhi, India, wrapped up earlier this month with a Leaders’ Declaration issued under the theme of “One Earth, One Family, One Future.” While much of the media coverage has focused on the geopolitical implications of the summit, this year’s declaration also made significant strides looking to gender equality and women’s empowerment, including a direct call for increased efforts to “close gender gaps and promote the full, equal, effective and meaningful participation of women in the economy as decision-makers.”

To take a closer look at how women’s empowerment was incorporated into the G20 process, we spoke with Ayaka Matsuno, director of the Gender Investment and Innovation Program at SPF. She also served as a co-head of the Japan delegation for Women20 (W20), an engagement group that advocates for the inclusion of gender-related issues in the G20 process.

Ms. Matsuno joined SPF World Views to look back on her work as co-head for W20 in Japan, discuss how gender equality initiatives were incorporated into the G20 Leaders' Declaration, and explore the ways that economic empowerment can accelerate progress toward gender equality.

You can read the full transcript of this episode on the SPF website.

Yenny Wahid, Director of the Wahid Foundation｜A perspective on Japan, Indonesia, and ASEAN

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 20:17:29 +0900

In this episode of SPF World Views, we spoke with Yenny Wahid, a social entrepreneur, political activist, and former journalist who currently serves as the director of the Wahid Foundation in Indonesia. Her roots in politics go back generations, including her father who served as the fourth president of Indonesia.

While in Tokyo for the first Asia Statesperson's Forum, organized by SPF’s Asia and Middle East Program, Ms. Wahid joined SPF World Views for a wide-ranging conversation about the challenges facing ASEAN and Indonesia, her work at the Wahid Foundation focusing on women’s empowerment, as well as her thoughts on the future of her political career.

You can read the full transcript of this episode on the SPF website.

Dilara Tütüncüoğlu, Second Secretary at the Turkish Embassy in Tokyo｜Japan-Türkiye relations from the perspective of a young diplomat

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 17:26:35 +0900

2024 will mark the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Türkiye. These two countries, though geographically distant, have historically shared a close relationship. The Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF), as part of its projects focusing on countries in the Middle East, has sought to deepen these ties, building networks to connect the people of Türkiye and Japan. As part of these efforts, the foundation’s Asia and Middle East Program welcomed a delegation of young diplomats from Türkiye to experience Japan first-hand, including our guest, Dilara Tütüncüoğlu, Second Secretary at the Turkish Embassy in Tokyo.

In this episode, Ms. Tütüncüoğlu reflects on the impact of the delegation's visit to Japan and shares her thoughts about the future of Japan-Türkiye relations from her perspective as someone at the beginning of their diplomatic career.

You can read the full transcript of this episode on the SPF website.

SPF President Atsushi Sunami｜Who we are at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation

Mon, 03 Jul 2023 16:47:22 +0900

Welcome to SPF World Views, a new podcast featuring in-depth discussions with our experts here in Japan as well as our partners around the world. Before diving into these conversations, we thought it best to take a moment to reflect on who are at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) and how we fit into this global conversation. Who better to explain than Dr. Atsushi Sunami, president of SPF. He joins us for the inaugural episode of SPF World Views to consider the foundation's role in contending with increasing divisions around the world and outline his vision for the type of innovation he would like to see at SPF.

You can read the full transcript of this episode on the SPF website.

This interview was conducted by Jackie Enzmann, Chief Editor of the SPF English website.

Welcome to SPF World Views

Fri, 16 Jun 2023 13:33:21 +0900

SPF World Views is a podcast that seeks out new perspectives on the global topics of today and insights into the conversations of tomorrow.

Through our work as a Think, Do, and Innovate-Tank, we at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) have the opportunity to meet, collaborate with, and learn from people around the world. This program will feature conversations with these collaborators as well as our experts here in Japan.

Be sure to subscribe, and visit our website to learn more about SPF.