[Event Report] Sun & Star Symposium in Japan 2026

The two day symposium began on July 24th, at the University of Tokyo Komaba Research Campus, where Admiral Patrick Walsh, U.S. Navy (retired) and former Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, delivered a keynote address. Yuichi Hosoya, Group Head of the Europe & Americas Group at IOG, served as discussant. The keynote and the sessions that followed discussed Operation Tomodachi, which was carried out in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake, including the circumstances at the time, the lessons learned, and the current state of the Japan-U.S. Alliance.

The sessions on the 25th were held at the International House of Japan. It opened with remarks by Dr. Hiroki Takeuchi, Director of the Sun & Star Program on Japan and East Asia in the SMU Tower Center for Public Policy and International Affairs, and Dr. Kazuto Suzuki, Director of the Institute of Geoeconomics. The program included panel sessions on the Indo-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East, along with a keynote address by Ambassador Robert Jordan, former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Closing remarks were delivered by Dr. Ryosei Kokubun, Professor Emeritus at Keio University and former President of the National Defense Academy of Japan.

From the Institute of Geoeconomics, Dr. Kazuto Suzuki and Dr. Naoko Eto, Visiting Senior Fellow, took part in the panel session on the Indo-Pacific.

Dr. Suzuki emphasized the importance of companies incorporating economic security into their business decisions, noting that as states increasingly use economic tools as weapons, companies find themselves on the front lines.

Dr. Eto discussed the China–Japan–U.S. triangular relationship, focusing on China’s strategic narrative concerning Japan.

For the full program, please refer to the website of Southern Methodist University.
Live updates of the sessions held on the 25th are also available on the Institute of Geoeconomics’ LinkedIn page.

Event Photos