What’s next for U.S.-Japan relations under Trump 2.0? As global tensions rise, what are the stakes in the Indo-Pacific? What role will Japan play in shaping the region’s future?

Asia Society Japan is thrilled to have Richard Fontaine, CEO of CNAS and co-author of Lost Decade: The U.S. Pivot to Asia and the Rise of Chinese Power, to guide us on a deep dive into the heart of U.S. foreign policy and national security. Fontaine will explore the United States’ historic shift to Asia-centric geopolitics and its implications for America's present and future—concluding that U.S. policymakers need a more coherent approach to the Indo-Pacific region. The United States’ relationship with its allies, including Japan, must be integral to that strategy.

Richard will be joined by Dr. Ken Jimbo, President of Asia Pacific Initiative (API) at the International House of Japan and Jesper Koll, Chair of Policy Committee at Asia Society Japan for a fireside chat.

Be sure to RSVP to secure your seat for this must-attend event, where you'll gain the latest insights into the future of U.S.-Japan relations.     

This event is co-hosted in partnership with the International House of Japan.

Event and Registration Details

June 10, 2025, 12:00 – 13:30 p.m. (JST)

• This event will be conducted in-person, and registration is required.
• In-person participation is for members and guests only. Please pay your fee by credit card (Visa or Mastercard only) or at the door.

Speakers’ Bio

Richard Fontaine
CEO of CNAS

Richard Fontaine is the chief executive officer of CNAS. He served as president of CNAS from 2012–19 and as senior fellow from 2009–12. Prior to CNAS, Fontaine served as foreign policy advisor to the McCain 2008 presidential campaign and subsequently as the minority deputy staff director on the Senate Armed Services Committee. He previously served as associate director for Near Eastern affairs at the NSC from 2003–04. He also worked on Southeast Asian issues in the NSC’s Asian Affairs directorate. At the State Department, Fontaine worked for the deputy secretary and in the department’s South Asia bureau. Fontaine began his foreign policy career as a staff member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, focusing on the Middle East and South Asia. He also spent a year teaching English in Japan. Fontaine currently serves as executive director of the Trilateral Commission.

Ken Jimbo
Managing Director at the International House of Japan

Ken Jimbo is a Managing Director at the International House of Japan, and President of the Asia Pacific Initiative (API). He also serves as Professor in the Faculty of Policy Management at Keio University. He previously served as a Special Advisor to the Minister of Defense at the Japan Ministry of Defense (2020) and as a Senior Advisor to the National Security Secretariat (2018–20).

His research primarily focuses on international security, Japan-US security relations, Japanese foreign and defense policy, multilateral security in the Asia-Pacific, and regionalism in East Asia. He has been a policy advisor for various Japanese governmental commissions and research groups including the National Security Secretariat, the Ministry of Defense, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His writings have been published by NBR, The RAND Corporation, Stimson Center, Pacific Forum, CSIS, Japan Times, Nikkei, Yomiuri, Asahi, and Sankei Shimbun.

Jesper Koll
Chair, Policy Committee, Asia Society Japan

Jesper Koll has been researching and investing in Japan since becoming a resident in 1986. Over the past two decades, Jesper has been consistently recognized as one of the top Japan strategists/economists, having worked as Chief Strategist and Head of Research for U.S. investment banks J.P. Morgan and Merrill Lynch. He currently serves as Expert Director for the Monex Group and the Japan Catalyst Fund (Japan’s 1st retail investor based corporate engagement/activist fund). His analysis and insights have earned him a position on several Japanese government and corporate advisory committees, including Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike’s Advisory Board. Jesper serves as Board Director of OIST, the Okinawa Institute for Science and Technology and is a Founder and Board Director of the Asia Society Japan and heads their Policy Committee. He is one of the few non-Japanese members of the Keizai Doyukai, the Japan Association of Corporate Executives; and serves on the board of several Japan-based start-ups. He has written three books in Japanese and, in 2021, created the acclaimed video/pod-cast series Japan - Capitalism that works. Jesper is an economist, angel-investor, patron; and yes, a Japan Optimist.