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• Japan Rearmed: The Politics of Military Power

  • When
    Thursday, November 14, 2019
  •  
    8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
  • Location
    Akasha Cafe, Culver City

  
  

  The Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall is honored to host Sheila A. Smith, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, based in Washington, D.C.

  Japan has one of Asia’s most technologically advanced militaries and yet struggles to use its hard power as an instrument of national policy.  The horrors of World War II continue to haunt policymakers in Tokyo, while China and South Korea remain wary of any military ambitions Japan may entertain.  Yet a fundamental shift in East Asian geopolitics has forced Japan to rethink the commitment to pacifism it made during the U.S. occupation.  The military, once feared as a security liability, now appears to be an indispensable asset, called upon with increasing frequency and given a seat at the policy-making table.

  In her book, Japan Rearmed, Sheila A. Smith argues that Japan is not only responding to increasing threats from North Korean missiles and Chinese maritime activities but also reevaluating its dependence on the United States.  No longer convinced that they can rely on Americans to defend Japan, Tokyo’s political leaders are now confronting the possibility that they may need to prepare the nation’s military for war.

  ***Sheila Smith's book "Japan Rearmed: The Politics of Military Power" will be available to purchase***

  Sheila A. Smith, an expert on Japanese politics and foreign policy, is senior fellow for Japan studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).  She is the author of Japan Rearmed: The Politics of Military Power (Harvard University Press, 2019), Intimate Rivals: Japanese Domestic Politics and a Rising China (Columbia University Press, 2015), which was released in Japanese as 日中 親愛なる宿敵: 変容する日本政治と対中政策 (Tokyo University Press, 2018), and Japan's New Politics and the U.S.-Japan Alliance (Council on Foreign Relations, June 2014).  Smith is also the author of the CFR interactive guide, “Constitutional Change in Japan.”

  Japan America Society of Southern California is pleased to serve as a Cooperating Organization for this special LAWAC & Town Hall breakfast program. 

  JASSC Members can can use the code "JAS" at the online checkout to receive the member rate for the event and save $15 per ticket. 
  

  Thursday, November 14, 2019

  8:00am - 9:30am
  

  Akasha Cafe

  9543 Culver Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90232

  $36  LAWAC & Town Hall and JASSC Members

  $51  Non-members & Guests

  For tickets, please visit the LAWAC & Town Hall website by clicking here.

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• Executive Chef Holiday Omakase Dinner at Inn Ann

  • When
    Monday, December 09, 2019
  •  
    5:30 PM
  • Location
    Inn Ann Restaurant at Japan House LA

  Register

  
  

  Monday, December 9, 2019 
  5:30pm Reception
  6:30pm Dinner

  
  

  Japan House Los Angeles - Fifth Floor
  6801 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90028

  Translating to “hidden retreat,” INN ANN offers a high-end, seasonal Japanese dining experience.  Embodying the idea of “Discover Umami” —the fifth savory taste essential to the balance of Japanese cuisine— this exclusive dinner and premium sake pairing will be prepared by INN ANN's Michelin-starred Executive Chef, Mori Onodera.

  About Executive Chef Mori Onodera
  An esteemed sushi master, Chef Onodera once told Los Angeles Magazine, “Rice is 70%, fish is 30%,” highlighting the importance he places on the quality of the rice he serves.  He grows his own rice in partnership with Tamaki Farms.  He also meticulously sources fresh fish for his signature sushi, placing a major emphasis on sustainable seafood.  Inn Ann meals are served on Chef Onodera’s own handmade pottery, as well as custom Arita-yaki porcelain to further immerse guests into Japanese culture. 

  Read Jonathan Gold's review of Chef Mori Onodera, who recently moved to INN ANN after several years at Shiki Beverly Hills. 

  Admission   $225 per guest

  The Eight-Course Executive Chef Mori Onodera Dinner will include –  

  - Sakizuke (warm house made tofu)
  - Zensai (appitizer)
  - Sashimi (amoked kanburi sashimi with chrysanthemum pesto)
  - Owan (osuimono - clear soup)
  - Tempura
  - Filet Steak
  - Hokkaido Bowl (ikura, uni, crab, scallop)
  - Dessert (yokan with chestnuts)
  Sake, Wine, Beer and Tea or Coffee are included.
  

  Seating is limited and reservations are required.  Due to the format of this dinner, substitutions and special dietary requests cannot be accommodated.

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• JAPAN CURRENTS with Tak Niinami, CEO, Suntory Holdings, Ltd.

  • When
    Tuesday, February 18, 2020
  •  
    4:30 PM - 7:00 PM
  • Location
    InterContinental L.A. Century City at Beverly Hills

  Register

  

  An in-depth discussion about Suntory’s globalization and the future of US-Japan business relations.
  

  

  Tak Niinami

  Chief Executive Officer

  Suntory Holdings Limited

  “Suntory’s Globalization:

  Bringing Together East and West”

  Suntory was founded in Osaka in 1899 and built Japan’s first distillery in Yamazaki in 1923 to create a genuine Japanese whisky, completely different from Scotch.  Its Yamazaki and Hibiki whiskies, among other products, have won international awards and the company has diversified its business into beer, soft drinks, coffee, and many other popular consumer brands.

  Suntory's globalization drive gained momentum with the acquisition of Beam.   Today, Suntory Group is one of the world's leading consumer products companies with nearly 40,000 employees and 300 group companies and operations throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania.  Tak will share his perspectives on Suntory’s globalization and how he sees the future of US-Japan business relations.

  Tak Niinami started his career at Mitsubishi Corporation before becoming CEO of Lawson and then Suntory.  Since taking the helm of Suntory in 2014, he has led the company’s global strategic growth, shepherding the successful integration of Beam Suntory. 

  Outside of Suntory, Tak serves on the Tax Commission of Japan, and the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy as senior economic advisor to the Prime Minister. He is also Vice Chair of the Board of Councillors of Keidanren – Japan Business Foundation.  Tak is also a member of the World Economic Forum’s International Business Council, the Advisory Board of the World Economic Forum Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the Global Board of Advisors of the Council on Foreign Relations, and The Business Council in the US. He earned his MBA at Harvard Business School.

  Moderator
  

  Brian Peck
  

  

  Director                                                     

  Center for Transnational Law and Business,

  Adjunct Assistant Professor of Law

  USC Gould School of Law

  Board of Governor, JASSC

  Tuesday, February 18, 2020
  4:30pm Registration
  5:00pm Keynote Address and Q&A
  6:15pm Networking Reception

  InterContinental Los Angeles Century City at Beverly Hills
  2151 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, CA 90067
  Map & Directions
  Valet parking only, $16 per vehicle

  Admission
  

  $65 JAS Members
  $80 Non-Members or Guests
  $120 Admission plus 1 year NEW JASSC Individual Membership (not valid for membership renewals)

  
  Register  |  Download Flyer

  
  

  Japan Currents is made possible by a generous grant from the Embassay of Japan in the U.S.A. and supported by the National Association of Japan-America Societies, Inc.
  
  

   

  
  

    

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