Australia-Japan: Stepping up a Special Strategic Relationship in Asia

Nick Kwan - Pexels

‘Australia-Japan: Stepping up a special strategic relationship in Asia’ is a two-part project by Asia Society Australia and Asia Society Japan that seeks to highlight opportunities for increased Australia-Japan cooperation in Asia. The project will focus on the intersect between trade and economic regionalism and connectivity, and our geopolitical and security agendas in a more contested and competitive Southeast Asia.

This project will look specifically at areas where Australian and Japanese interests align, where they diverge in the Indo-Pacific, and where the opportunities are for the two countries to work more closely together to advance shared interests in the region.

Supported by the Australia-Japan Foundation in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the project will include public programs, private briefings, policy briefs and the appointment of Australia and Japan based Fellows who will offer subject-matter expertise and curate key activities.

Australia-Japan: Stepping up a special strategic relationship in Asia has received grant funding from the Australia-Japan Foundation of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. This project is undertaken in partnership with Asia Society Japan.

Asia Society Australia-Japan Fellows

Kyoko Hatakeyama, Professor, Graduate School of International Studies and Regional Development, University of Niigata Prefecture

Kyoko Hatakeyama is a Professor of International Relations at the Graduate School of International Studies and Regional Development, University of Niigata Prefecture. Prior to this position, she served as a Research Analyst in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and Kansai Gaidai University. Her research interests include Japan’s foreign and security policy, international relations in Asia, and international relations theory.

Currently, she focuses on a new project on maritime security and regional order in Asia. She has published widely on Japan’s foreign and security policy, middle power diplomacy, maritime security and regional order in Asia. She has been frequently invited as a guest speaker to meetings and symposiums in Japan and overseas and has contributed to public debates on international relations.

Professor Hatakeyama’s recent publications include “A Middle Power’s Roles in Shaping the East Asian Security Order: Analysis of Japan’s Engagement from a Normative Perspective,” Australian Journal of Politics and History 65 (3) 2019 and Japan’s Evolving Security Policy: Militarisation within a Pacifist Tradition, Routledge, 2021.

She holds BA in political science from Keio University and MA in international relations and PhD in political science from Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia.

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Ian Williams, Principal of IMW Advisory

Ian Williams is an experienced corporate lawyer and non-executive director with more than 30 years’ experience working between Japan and Australia. Ian previously worked and played rugby union at Kobe Steel and was as a partner at international law firms Herbert Smith Freehills and Ashurst for 20 years. He is currently a non-executive director of ASX-listed and private companies, as well as a strategic advisor to Japanese companies.

Ian has commentated and written extensively on the Japan Australia trade and investment relationship including the following reports: Japan-Australia Investment Report (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022), Japanese Investment in Australia - Lessons Learnt (2016), Comparison of Corporate Governance in Japan and Australia (2015) and Foreign Direct Investment: How to improve the investment environment (2014).

He serves as Vice-President of the Australia Japan Business Co-operation Committee, and as a member of the Advisory Board of the Australian-Japan Research Centre at the Australian National University. Ian founded the Australia-Japan Roundtable Dinner in 2001. He was awarded the Japanese Foreign Minister's Commendation (外務大臣表彰) for service to the Japan Australia relationship in business and sport in 2016.

Ian holds degrees in Law and Economics from The University of Sydney and also completed postgraduate studies in Politics, Philosophy and Economics at The University of Oxford, England. He is the only person to have represented both Australia (1984-1990) and Japan (1993) in rugby union.

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