NEXTAlliance
Initiative
Conference:
Fall 2023

Relationships for New Challenges
Conference / Workshop Overview
The Fall 2023 NEXT Alliance Conference (NAC), to be held in Washington, DC and Annapolis,
MD, will build upon our Spring NAC in Tokyo and further explore beneficial adjustments tofuture US-Japan command and control (C2) relationships, given three evolving trends: 1) a
shifting regional military balance that makes integration of allied forces more vital; 2) a
combination of technological advances and operational needs that are driving toward more
integrated and combined force concepts; and 3) Japan efforts to expand its defense capabilities
and improve military “jointness,” such as beginning to develop a counterstrike capability andintroducing a permanent joint headquarters for the Self-Defense Forces (SDF).
The objective of this Track 1.5 conference is to foster substantive bilateral expert dialogue
on complex issues surrounding alliance security cooperation and future C2 needs. Our
goal is to provide useful background information and ideas that can be useful to the ongoing
official bilateral discussion on this topic, aimed at aligning bilateral arrangements with nationalreforms and changing defense needs. Future C2 adjustments might also help with timely decision
making on defense policy and deployment issues, as Japanese territory (and US bases therein)
become more closely associated with the defense of Japan and regional security at greater
standoff distances. The NAC will also feature multiple professional networking opportunities. It
will be an invitation only and not-for-attribution dialogue event. Sasakawa USA will prepare a notfor-attribution summary of the discussion, highlighting key themes and observations. The Spring
2023 NAC summary can be found here.
Planned Itinerary Outline: October 26 thru October 31, 2023
• Thur, Oct 26 – Japan delegation arrives in Washington (hotel check-in; reception w/ US group)• Fri, Oct 27 – Morning USG briefings (incl lunch); bus to Annapolis; local tour; dinner/speaker• Sat, Oct 28 – Morning/afternoon workshop sessions; dinner/speaker• Sun, Oct 29 – Morning workshop sessions; drafting recommendations; bus to DC• Mon, Oct 30 – Afternoon public event in DC (optional for most participants)• Tues, Oct 31 – Most of the Japan delegation returns home (some may depart on Oct 30)
A session-by-session draft outline follows, along with information about expected participants.
Questions and comments can be directed to Jim Schoff, Sr. Director at Sasakawa USA andleader of the US-Japan NEXT Alliance Initiative. jschoff@spfusa.org

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October 26 (Thursday): Japan delegation arrival & bilat reception
6:00pm-8:00pm Welcome reception (drinks & food) for NAC participants/invited guests(Park Hyatt Hotel, Blue Duck Tavern/Tea Cellar), business casual
Japan Guests’ Hotel: Park Hyatt Hotel (1201 24th St., NW, Washington, DC 20037)

October 27 (Friday): USG Briefings and Bus to Annapolis
All morning/lunch briefings to be held at Park Hyatt Hotel (Green Park Room)Business attire for briefings
8:00am-9:00am EDT State Dept breakfast briefing on “Alliance Agenda 2023-2024”
Nicholas Snyder, Director, Office of Japan Affairs, State Department
Luke Collin, Director for Japan and Australia, Nat’l Security Council
9:15am-10:15am EDT Defense Dept briefing on “Alliance Modernization Update”
Andrew Winternitz, Acting Deputy Asst. Secretary of Defense for
East Asia PolicyLuke Collin, Director for Japan and Australia, Nat’l Security Council
10:30am-11:30am EDT Joint Staff briefing on “Mission Partner Environments”
Fred Stanley, Systems Engineer, Coalition Interoperability
Assurance & Validation (CIAV) JITC LNO to Joint Staff J6
Noon-1:00pm EDT

Optional lunch provided at or near hotel

1:00pm – 2:30pm EDT Bus to Annapolis; Bus leaves from Park Hyatt Hotel(Nakamura International Limousine, POC: Jun Nakamura),
hotel check-in (Annapolis Waterfront Hotel) 80 Compromise
Street, Annapolis, MD 21401
Tel. 888-773-0786
3:30pm – 5:00pm EDT Naval Academy walking tour arranged (gather at Waterfront
Hotel Lobby at 3:10pm) Casual attire for tour (will be warm!)
6:00pm – 8:30pm EDT Drinks/Dinner, Waterfront Hotel Harbor View Room w/
keynote speaker on “Contested Logistics and C2/COMREL)”
Lt. Gen. Leo Kosinski, USAF, Director for Logistics (J4), The
Joint Staff
Business casual attire for dinner[see next page for weekend workshop schedule]2
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NEXT Alliance Initiative Conference: Fall 2023

October 28 (Saturday): Workshop Sessions (1-3) (Spa Creek Room)
Casual or business casual attire is fine for workshop days
8:00am-9:00am EDT Buffet breakfast available in hotel’s Spa Creek Meeting Room
9:00am-9:15am EDT Welcome and Opening Remarks
Satohiro Akimoto, President, and Jim Schoff, Sr. Director, Sasakawa USA
9:15am-10:45am EDT Workshop Session 1: The State of Alliance C2 Modernization
Updates on Japan’s progress establishing Permanent Joint HQand related US adjustments/thinking for Indo-Pacific region.
Moderator: Chris Johnstone, Japan Chair, CSIS
Japan Presenter: Lt. Gen. ISOBE Koichi, JGSDF (Ret.)US Presenter:
Lt. Gen. Larry Nicholson, USMC (retired)Japan Discussant: TOKUCHI Hideshi, President, RIPSUS Discussant:John Schaus, Sr. Fellow, CSIS
11:00am-12:30pm EDT Workshop Session 2: Technology Aspects of C2 Modernization
Explores the most relevant technology questions related to info
sharing, info security, and industry cooperation related to C2.
Moderator: Jim Schoff, Sasakawa USA
US Presenter: Wallace “Chip” Gregson, Lt. Gen., USMC (Ret.)Japan Presenter: MORI Satoru, Prof., Keio University
US Discussant: Burt Field, Lt. Gen., USAF (Ret.), fmr Commander, USFJJapan Discussant: MATSUBARA Mihoko, Chief Cybersecurity Strategist,NTT Corporation
12:30pm: Group Photo
12:35pm-1:35pm EDT Workshop lunch w/ guest speaker (“C2 Modernization and theRole of Functional Commands”) in Harborview Room
Cecil D. Haney, ADM, USN (Ret), fmr STRATCOM
Commander and PACFLEET Commander
2:00pm – 3:30pm EDT Workshop Session 3: Korea & other Multilateral Considerations
Examines alliance C2 coordination more specifically in terms ofa Korea contingency (i.e., w/ USFK) and with other allies.
Moderator: Chris Johnstone, Japan Chair, CSISUS Presenter: Joseph R. Donovan, Jr., fmr Amb to Indonesia and State
Department PDA/S, East Asia & Pacific Affairs
Japan Presenter: Admiral TAKEI Tomohisa, JMSDF (Ret.)
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NEXT Alliance Initiative Conference: Fall 2023
US Discussant: Markus Garlauskas, Director, IPSI, Atlantic Council(unable to attend, last minute)Japan Discussant: MURANO Masashi, Japan Chair Fellow, Hudson Inst
4:00pm – 6:00pm EDT Free Time
6:00pm – 8:30pm EDT Offsite dinner at Blackwall Hitch Restaurant w/ guest speaker(meet in hotel lobby at 6pm to walk over to restaurant)
Dr. Toshi Yoshihara, Senior Fellow, Center for Strategic andBudgetary Assessments on “What Will China Think?”

October 29 (Sunday): Workshop Sessions (4-5)
8:00am-9:00am EDT Buffet breakfast available in hotel’s Spa Creek Meeting Room
9:00am-10:30am EDT Workshop Session 4: Sequencing C2 Modernization Next StepsConsiders alliance options and idea scenarios for near-term andmedium-term steps in unilateral and bilateral adjustments.
Moderator: Jim Schoff, Sasakawa USA
Japan Presenter: Lt. Gen. OUE Sadamasa JASDF (Ret.)US Presenter:
Mark Montgomery, RADM, USN (Ret)Japan Discussant: TAKAHASHI Sugio, Head, Defense Policy Division,National Institute for Defense Studies (NIDS)US Discussant: Kelly Grieco, Sr. Fellow, Stimson Center
Break/Hotel check-out
11:00am-12:00pm EDT Workshop Session 5: Review/recommendation session
Moderator: Jim Schoff, Sasakawa USA
12:00pm-1:00pm EDT Workshop Room/Group Lunch (no speaker)
2:00pm – 3:30pm EDT Bus return to DC; hotel check-in for Japan side

October 30 (Monday): Public Event in DC
2:00pm-3:30pm EDT Public event: To be held at The Army & Navy Club in DCFeaturing: Kelly Grieco, Chris Johnstone, OUE Sadamasa,
TOKUCHI Hideshi, and Jim Schoff

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NEXT Alliance Initiative Conference: Fall 2023

Workshop Participants
Japan Delegation (all non-govt confirmed)
1. ISOBE Koichi, Lt. Gen., JGSDF (Ret.), fmr Commander of Eastern Japan Army
2. MATSUBARA Mihoko, Chief Cybersecurity Strategist, NTT Corporation
3. MORI Satoru, Professor, Keio University
4. MURANO Masashi, Japan Chair Fellow, Hudson Institute
5. OUE Sadamasa, Lt. Gen. ASDF (Ret) former Commander of Air Materiel Command
6. TAKAHASHI Sugio, Head, Defense Policy Div, National Institute for Defense Studies (NIDS)
7. TAKEI Tomohisa, ADM, JMSDF (Ret.), former Chief of Staff of MSDF
8. TOKUCHI Hideshi, President, Research Institute for Peace & Security (RIPS)
Japanese Government (expected to participate in workshop sessions)
9. AMIYA Kosuke, Director, Japan-US Security Treaty Div, MOFA
10. TSURUTA Go, Deputy Director, Japan-US Security Treaty Div, MOFA
11. CDR TAKAHASHI Akihiro, Japan-US Cooperation Division, Ministry of Defense
12. RADM HAYAMIZU Takaaki, Defense Attaché, Embassy of JapanUS Delegation (all non-govt confirmed)
1. Satohiro Akimoto, Chairman & President, Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA
2. Jim Schoff, Sr. Director, Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA
3. Joseph R. Donovan, Jr., former Ambassador to Indonesia
4. Burton M. Field, Lt. Gen., USAF (Ret.), former Commander, USFJ
5. Markus Garlauskas, Director, IPSI, Atlantic Council (unable to attend last minute)
6. Wallace “Chip” Gregson, Lt. Gen., USMC (Ret.), Distinguished Sr. Fellow, Sasakawa USA
7. Kelly Grieco, Sr. Fellow, Reimagining US Grand Strategy Program, Stimson Center
8. Cecil D. Haney, ADM, USN (Ret), former STRATCOM Commander
9. Christopher Johnstone, Japan Chair, CSIS
10. Mark Montgomery, RADM, USN (Ret), Sr Director, Center on Cyber and Technology
Innovation, Foundation for Defense of Democracies
11. Larry Nicholson, Lt. Gen., USMC (Ret.), Distinguished Sr. Fellow, Sasakawa USA
12. John Schaus, Senior Fellow, International Security Program, CSISUS Government (expected to participate in workshop sessions)
13. Andrew Lee, Deputy Director, Office of Japanese Affairs, Department of State
14. Grace Park, Director, Japan Policy, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Indo-Pacific Security
Affairs
15. Hannah Fodale, Country Director, Japan, OSD, Indo-Pacific Security Affairs
16. COL Ian Francis, J51 Division Chief at US INDOPACOM
17. COL Stephen Browne, J5 at US Forces Japan
18. Lt. Col. Marcus A. Morgan, Chief, Government Relations, J54, USFJ

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