Commentary and policy writing

Op-eds and commentary

• Social Structure, Demographics, and the Sustainability of the Alliance
  May 31, 2026. In The Deepening of US-Japan Cooperation on ‘Non-Military’ Aspects. Japan Forum on International Relations. 20–21. · Japanese version
• South Korea’s New Leader Says There’s No Gender Inequality Problem (with Don Lee)
  April 26, 2022. The Washington Post.
• No Evidence School Closures Reduce the Spread of COVID-19 (with Kentaro Fukumoto and Kuninori Nakagawa)
  November 3, 2021. Nature Portfolio (Behavioral and Social Sciences).

Comparative Connections

Triannual chronicles of U.S.-Japan relations for Pacific Forum's Comparative Connections, with Sheila Smith, 2015–2024.

• Once Again, Leadership Transitions Challenge US-Japan Alliance
  2024. 26(2):27–38.
• Washington Welcomes Prime Minister Kishida
  2024. 26(1):29–38.
• A Busy Diplomatic Calendar for Biden and Kishida
  2023. 25(2):25–32.
• Ramping Up Diplomacy and Defense Cooperation
  2023. 24(3):19–28.
• The U.S. and Japan Build Multilateral Momentum
  2023. 25(1):25–32. Republished in Asia Times. · Asia Times
• A New Prime Minister and a Growing Alliance Agenda
  2022. 23(3):21–30.
• Abe’s Legacy and the Alliance Agenda
  2022. 24(2):21–28.
• Russian Invasion Accelerates Alliance Review
  2022. 24(1):19–28.
• Leadership Transitions in Tokyo and Washington
  2021. 22(3):19–28.
• Suga and Biden Off to a Good Start
  2021. 23(1):21–28.
• Summer Takes an Unexpected Turn
  2021. 23(2):17–24.
• COVID-19 Overtakes Japan and the United States
  2020. 22(1):15–26.
• The Finale for Abe-Trump Alliance Management?
  2020. 21(3):11–20.
• Unexpected Turbulence for the Alliance
  2020. 22(2):13–22.
• A Busy Summer of Bilateralism
  2019. 21(2):13–20.
• Stability in Tokyo, Disruption in Washington
  2019. 20(3):11–18.
• Treading Water in Choppier Surf
  2019. 21(1):15–22.
• Adjusting to Abrupt Diplomacy
  2018. 20(1):11–18.
• Summer Before the Storm?
  2018. 20(2):13–20.
• Trump Visits Tokyo Amid North Korea Tensions
  2018. 19(3):11–18.
• A Summer of Setbacks
  2017. 19(2):11–20.
• Tokyo Transitions to Trump
  2017. 19(1):11–20.
• U.S.-Japan Relations and the Trump Effect
  2017. 18(3):9–16.
• 2016 Opens with a Bang
  2016. 18(1):15–22.
• Hiroshima to The Hague
  2016. 18(2):15–24.
• Official Cooperation, Domestic Challenges
  2016. 17(3):13–20.
• History and Other Alliance Constraints
  2015. 17(2):17–26.

Earlier writing

• Getting Out the Youth Vote in Japan
  August 5, 2013. Council on Foreign Relations.
• Japan’s Maritime Disputes: Implications for the U.S.-Japan Alliance (with Sheila A. Smith)
  2013. In Michael McDevitt and Catherine Lea, eds. Japan’s Territorial Disputes. CNA Maritime Asia Project. 15–28.
• How Japan’s Next Election Will Be Won
  October 4, 2012. Council on Foreign Relations.
• The LDP’s Freshmen
  December 18, 2012. Council on Foreign Relations.
• The U.S. Approach to Peacebuilding: From a Whole-of-Government to a Whole-of-Alliance Approach with Japan (with Weston Konishi)
  2011. In Toshiya Hoshino and Weston Konishi, eds. U.S.-Japan Alliance Peacebuilding Cooperation. Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis. 1–11.
• The Demographic Dilemma: Examining the Security Implications of Japan’s Aging Population
  2010. In Yao (Adam) Liu, Faith Pang, and Sherry Lu, eds. Asia Pacific Reader: Passages. University of Toronto 2(1):70–71.