October 19, 2018 — Tokyo, Japan
An AJC leadership delegation has concluded a two-day visit to Japan.
The 15-member group, led by AJC Asia Pacific Institute (API) Director Shira Loewenberg, met privately with Foreign Minister Taro Kono and Hideo Sato, Senior Advisor to Prime Minister Abe and the Foreign Minister. The visit included discussions with U.S. Ambassador William Hagerty, and a dinner hosted by Israeli Ambassador Yaffa Ben-Ari.
“AJC has been traveling to Japan regularly since 1988,” said Loewenberg. “Japan is a democratic powerhouse in Asia, an essential ally and partner of the United States, a close friend of Israel, and an anchor of stability in a vital part of the world. Every year, our engagement with Japan and with Japanese representatives around the world continues to widen and deepen.”
The principal topics of discussion during the visit included: (i) the breadth and depth of U.S.-Japan ties; (ii) the North Korean nuclear and missile threat; and (iii) Middle East regional issues, including Iran’s ongoing links with North Korea.
The visit featured a regional overview from senior research fellows at the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA), a private, nonpartisan policy think-tank focused on foreign affairs and security issues. The roundtable discussion included Ambassador Yasunori Nakayama, Director General (Acting) of the Japan Institute of International Affairs.
AJC has been uniquely engaged with Japan through its pioneering Asia Pacific Institute (API), which has organized dozens of visits to Japan over the last 30 years and stayed in close contact with Japanese diplomats stationed in the U.S. The institute is represented in Tokyo by Jerry Rosenberg.
