RIPS held its 17th public seminar on “Challenges to Defense Industries in Japan.” on October 10, 2017. The seminar focused on the current challenges on defense industries in Japan.

 In her keynote speech, Ms. Misa Sakurabayashi, a defense columnist, discussed various challenges to defense technology and infrastructure in Japan. She emphasized that Japan needs to identify policy requirements specifically designed for its defense exports distinct from other civilian exports. She stressed that the Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Agency (ATLA) must play a leading role in shaping the policy through which Japan’s defense industries could develop their defense technologies and exports.

 In the second session, presided by Ms. Sakurabayashi, Mr. Junichi Nishiyama from the Institute for Future Engineering pointed out that the boundary between the defense and civilian technologies is no longer clearly separable as they are intertwined in our highly modernized society. He insisted that civilian technologies need to be incorporated with the defense technologies effectively. Retired General. Noboru Yamaguchi (Vice President, International University of Japan) stressed that Japanese defense industries should carefully examine and select which areas within the specialized defense fields could be more advantageous in the competitive global defense market. He suggested that they should focus more on exports of weapons from the viewpoint of building the technological capacity.

 Approximately 80 participants attended the seminar including those from private businesses and government offices. Defense researchers and university students also joined. At the end of the seminar, a number of questions and reflections were raised from the floor and discussions followed.