Seiji M a eh a r a
The Honorable Seiji Maehara was serving as Japan’s minister for foreign affairs at thetime of the New Shimoda Conference and is a member of the House of Representatives.
The following is the text of his special address to the conference participants.

I would like to offer my heartfelt congratulations on the 40th anniversary of theestablishment of the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE). Since its
foundation, the JCIE, most capably headed by President Tadashi Yamamoto,has played an enormous role in enhancing mutual understanding and exchange
between Japan and other countries. Once again, allow me to pay my respects tothe JCIE and President Yamamoto.
The Japanese-American Assembly, the so-called Shimoda Conference, was first
convened in 1967. It has served since as a distinctive forum in which top Japaneseand American leaders from different sectors come together to exchange views
frankly on the latest developments in international affairs and Japan-US relations.
There were various factors at that time which led to the establishment of sucha forum for dialogue mainly among nongovernmental players—what we now
call Track 1.5 dialogue. Having achieved significant economic growth, Japan had
started to seek a role as an independent player in the international arena. Anotherfactor could be that intellectual attention toward Japan grew to new heights in theUnited States. And we can also say that it was the time when research and discussions on international politics were becoming active within Japan. As the Shimoda
Conference was convened at the time when the networks among experts and institutions on international political and security affairs had yet to be fully developed,
the conference had a significant impact both on Japan-US bilateral relations andon the exchange activities between parliamentarians and academics. The Shimoda
Conference was convened nine times until 1994, and played an important role instrengthening the multilayered relationship between Japan and the United Statesby helping to set the direction for bilateral relations and deepening the personalbonds between the future leaders of the two countries.
I am sure that a candid and enthusiastic debate has also taken place amongst
the distinguished participants during today’s New Shimoda Conference, looking
ahead to future challenges. I have had the pleasure of participating in the Japan-US

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Parliamentary Exchange Program, a program which was initiated as the result of
the Shimoda Conference. Parliamentary exchange gives legislators of both countries unique opportunities to know each other and build relationships of trust,which are crucial for a strong alliance. I would have joined the discussion withyou if my schedule had allowed. As I could not make it, however, I would like totake this opportunity to present my views on the main subject of today’s conference: the role of Japan and the United States in the international community.

The Asia-Pacific in the 21st Century andthe role of Japan and the United States
If we compare the current situation with that of the time of the original Shimoda
Conference, the environments surrounding both Japan and the United States
have changed dramatically. In contrast with the Cold War era, when a bipolarsystem involving the United States and the Soviet Union held sway, multipolarization and globalization are the defining features of the 21st century international community in which we now live. There is also the rapid rise of a number ofemerging countries, who are increasing their presence not only in the economic
but also in the political arena. Moreover, the cross-border movement of people,goods, and money has intensified dramatically and, thanks to advances in IT,
information spreads around the world and impacts global public opinion in theblink of an eye.
Last month, the actions of a young man who committed suicide by setting
himself on fire in Tunisia triggered an eruption of the people’s frustration against
the government regime. This movement spread across the country through newmeans of communication and through social networks such as Facebook andTwitter, eventually leading to massive protests and the collapse of the regime.
In Egypt, President Mubarak was likewise forced to resign. Such political andsocial disturbances in the Middle East have immediate economic repercussions
throughout the globe and can result in uncertainties in areas such as world energy
prices. In this regard, the current rise in food costs brings to mind the forecast ofa tight food supply in the medium to long term as a result of the global increasein population. This is an immediate problem for Japan, which depends heavily onfood and energy imports. Therefore, we must be aware of risks associated withuncertainties in the world and stand ready to address the issue of food and energy
security from various perspectives.
Because globalization has such positive and negative aspects, Japan and the UnitedStates are expected to strengthen cooperation on global issues. The New Shimoda
Conference can be a good forum to discuss the challenges of globalization.
Turning our eyes to the Asia Pacific region, uncertainties still persist even two
decades after the end of the Cold War. Looking back at the past year, in addition30

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to the repeated provocative behavior by North Korea, such as the sinking of aSouth Korean Navy patrol vessel, the shelling of the Yeonpyeong Island and thatcountry’s ongoing uranium enrichment program, many issues relating to territories and seas also came up. All these are still fresh in our minds.
The Asia Pacific is a region full of ethnic, cultural, and religious diversity. The
region that has benefited the most from economic globalization as a catalyst forachieving growth is Asia. The GDP of the Asian region accounted for 13 percentof the global total in 1967, when the Shimoda Conference was first held. But thatfigure had doubled to 25 percent by 2009. Some even estimate that it will reach40 percent by 2030. The rapid growth of the emerging countries in Asia, such as
China and India, is providing opportunities for big markets and growth, not justfor the Asia Pacific region but for the entire world.
Building upon the dynamism created by this diversity, we must realize a systemof open cooperation with the participation of the rising emerging countries whileavoiding conflicts stemming from differing interests and values. We should build
this new order based on the fundamental philosophy that the development of
the Asia Pacific region through cooperation rather than in circumstances where
hegemony reigns is inseparable from the long-term interests of the countries in
the region. In this connection, it is important to develop “institutional foundations” such as the rule of law, democracy, respect for human rights, free and fairtrade and investment rules, and the protection of intellectual property rights, inaddition to the development of infrastructure, in order to realize the potential
strengths of the countries concerned to the fullest.
In visualizing such a new order, the Japan-US Alliance, which has consistently
functioned as an indispensable public asset for the stability and prosperity of theAsia Pacific region throughout the post–World War II era, remains absolutelyvital. There are increasing expectations concerning the roles of Japan and theUnited States in the maintenance of peace and stability in the region, and I believethat we shoulder grave responsibilities.
Japan will continue to make efforts to promote regional cooperation in theAsia Pacific in collaboration with the United States, which has been deepening
its engagement further in the region under the Obama administration. Having
been established in 1967, the same year that the Shimoda Conference was firstlaunched, ASEAN has now expanded its membership to 10 and has been playing
a central role in regional cooperation. We especially welcome the decision on US
participation in the East Asia Summit (EAS), amongst the various frameworks
evolving with ASEAN at the core. On the economic front, APEC is playing animportant role in building a foundation for liberalization of trade and investment.
As was agreed at APEC Yokohama last year, we will continue to work toward therealization of a Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP), building upon theregional endeavors currently under way. In particular, a Trans-Pacific Strategic
Economic Partnership (TPP) agreement is an important pathway to an FTAAP.
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If this framework becomes a reality with the participation of both Japan and theUnited States, not only will it have a significant economic and political impact
but it can also be regarded as a huge step forward in the process of strengthening
Japan-US relations. We will carry out consultations with the United States andother relevant countries, and the government will reach a decision on whether tojoin by around June of this year.

The deepening of the Japan-US Alliance
It cannot be stressed too much that firm bilateral ties between Japan and theUnited States form the very foundation upon which the two countries can work
together to secure the stability and prosperity of the Asia Pacific region. We willfurther deepen and develop the Japan-US Alliance focusing on the three pillarsof security, economy, and cultural and people-to-people exchange. We will speed
up consultations between the two governments in order to present a vision of theAlliance that is suitable for the 21st century on the occasion of Prime Minister
Kan’s visit to the United States, which is expected to take place in the first half of
this year.
The Japan-US security arrangements, which lie at the core of our Alliance,play an indispensable role, not only for Japan’s defense but also for the peace andstability of the region. What we need to do urgently is to advance work on theupdating and revalidation of the Common Strategic Objectives between Japanand the United States while building Japan’s own defense capability, based on theassessment of the current security environment in East Asia.
The second pillar of the deepening of the Japan-US Alliance is the economy.
We recognize that the sound evolution of our Alliance is predicated on the twocountries having robust economies. We shall therefore advance consultations on
free trade and investment, such as the TPP, which I mentioned earlier. As a newfrontier of Japan-US economic cooperation, we shall also boost collaboration in
new areas of growth and leading-edge technologies, such as clean energy, highspeed railway systems, and the superconducting Maglev, which should lead torenewed growth, jobs, and exports. We are especially convinced that, if Japan’s
top-quality high-speed railway system is introduced in the United States, it will
be a highly significant project symbolizing Japan-US cooperation.
The third pillar comprises cultural and people-to-people exchange. This is anarea that requires serious endeavors, as it is essential to foster mutual understanding between the peoples of our two countries on a wide range of levels inorder to deepen and develop the Japan-US Alliance on a mid- to long-term basis.
In this regard, I strongly feel that there is a pressing need for us to revitalize
the intellectual and parliamentarians’ exchanges between Japan and the UnitedStates, which the Shimoda Conference pioneered. I say this because continuous
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dialogue and a multilayered network of people involving not only leaders fromgovernment but also from academia, business, and politics is the very key tomutual understanding between the two societies. Even though the number ofJapanese students studying in US universities has declined in recent years, weare carrying out measures such as the dispatch of young Japanese teachers to
the United States and the organization of student exchanges. This is based on
the belief that the promotion of youth exchange is indeed an investment for thefuture development of Japan-US relations on a mid- to long-term basis.
In the field of exchange between parliamentarians, the Japan-US Parliamentary
Exchange Program I mentioned earlier has built up a very impressive trackrecord as a forum for promoting dialogue and exchange between our two countries. As politicians are expected to play an even greater role in the international arena, I am convinced of the importance of further revitalizing Japan-US
parliamentary exchange.
The year 2012 marks the centenary of the donation of 3,000 cherry trees toWashington DC by Mayor Ozaki of Tokyo. I hope that the friendly relations
between the peoples of both countries will be further enhanced through thevarious exchange events lined up to commemorate the anniversary.

Conclusion
Dynamic changes have taken place in the domestic and international environments surrounding Japan and the United States since the time of the Shimoda
Conference. The basic picture, however, remains unchanged in that the two countries are continuing to tackle their challenges hand-in-hand. It is truly significant
to see that, with the holding of the New Shimoda Conference today, we now havea reinvigorated bond of Japan-US policy dialogue and intellectual exchange. Ivery much hope that this will lead to the strengthening of dialogue and exchange
in the future.
In the five months since taking office as Foreign Minister last September, I haveheld four meetings with Secretary of State Clinton, and the relationship of mutual
trust has deepened. I have learned from President Yamamoto that the support
from various people on the US side has been extremely helpful in arranging
the Shimoda Conferences and Japan-US Parliamentary Exchange. I believe it isimportant that we work together to further support the New Shimoda Conference
to further deepen and develop Japan-US relations, which have been so nurtured
by our predecessors thus far. Let me conclude by expressing my determination todedicate all my strength to fulfill my responsibilities as foreign minister.

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