YCAPS featured on AFN Tokyo

AFN Tokyo featured a Yokosuka Council on Asia-Pacific Studies (YCAPS)-JUMP seminar in a short video piece which began airing on Oct. 17, 2018.

The video highlighted an October 10 YCAPS-JUMP seminar held in Fussa City, the second event YCAPS has held near Yokota Airbase. The event was standing-room only to hear a panel of six distinguished experts lead a discussion on the topic of  “NATO States’ & Asian Security: From Interests to Action.”

YCAPs aims to promote the study of strategic, diplomatic, and legal issues affecting the Asia-Pacific Region.  Capitalizing on Yokosuka City’s unique pool of global expertise and rich maritime heritage, YCAPS seeks to build networks between individuals, promote dialogue, provide world-class educational opportunities and enable professional mentorship.

View the video by clicking here.

 

Pensacola is gearing up for this weekend’s Japan-US Military Program (JUMP) event, as previewed in the October 19 edition of the Pensacola News Journal.

“The relationship between the U.S. and Japan has evolved and gotten stronger over time,” said JUMP Program Director James Kendall in the article. “Now we are closer to Japan than ever, in part because it has become a lot less of an alien place for Americans. There are many Americans who have visited Japan and come away with a very positive impression.”

“Kendall encouraged local military members who have served in Japan to attend Saturday’s event and share their experiences. He said it is important to reinforce the friendship between the two countries,” the article reads.

“We feel it is never good to take anything for granted. Something may seem very stable, but it doesn’t stay that way through happenstance,” he said.

Read the full article here or see more info on the event here.

The Japan-US Military Program’s recent event with the Nisei Veterans Committee in Seattle was highlighted in an article in the North American Post by Shihou Sasaki. Members of the U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force, the Japan Ground Self-Defense Forces, along with members of the broader Seattle community came together at the event to honor the Nisei Veterans who served in the segregated 100th Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT) and the Military Intelligence Service (MIS), during World War II.

“We clearly understand that most Japanese Americans went through a lot of hardship during World War II,” Lt. General Takashi Motomatsu, Commanding General 8th Division, Western Army of JGSDF, is quoted as saying in the article. “I would like to express my appreciation” for their contributions to society and the reconstruction of the Nikkei community.

Read the full article here.

 

The U.S.-Japan military alliance and efforts to bring together those who have served in Japan were highlighted Saturday on NHK news after new crews attended an event hosted by the Defense Attaché office of the Embassy of Japan in the United States in collaboration with JUMP.

The reunion event at Marine Corps Base Quantico brought together more than 200 active and retired service members and their families who have served in Japan. The event included a reception, remarks from the host and distinguished guests, a briefing on JUMP, a toast, a performance of traditional Okinawan Eisaa dance, and comments from Marines reflecting on their memories in Japan.

“We continue to thank our friendship and close ties with the United States Marine Corps — Ooh-Rah!” said RADM Yuki Sekiguchi, Defense Attaché with the Embassy of Japan who spoke at the event.

The NHK broadcast also includes remarks from LtGen Robert S. Walsh, Commanding General, Marine Corps Combat Development Command, and Deputy Commandant, Combat Development and Integration, who spoke at the event.

“The relationship between the two countries, I think, are central to addressing the regional and global challenges that we’ve got now and into the future,” he said in the broadcast.

View the full video above, (mostly in Japanese but includes some English as well), read the Japanese-language NHK report here, or the English-language report here.