Japan Program at Stanford APARC

In the Spotlight

Japan's Primse Minister Sanae Takaicichi seated on the backdrop of the Japan flag.

Japan's Prime Minister Takaichi: A First-Month Report Card

Following a strong debut, Takaichi now faces her first foreign policy test and questions over Japan's sluggish economy. Director Kiyoteru Tsutsui assesses her first month in office and what to watch for next.

Get Tsutsui's Briefing

Ema Yamazaki and Katherine Monahan seated on stage during a fireside chat.

Exploring Japanese Education and Identity

Following an advance screening of her latest documentary, The Making of a Japanese, filmmaker Ema Ryan Yamazaki discussed her intimate portrait of a large Japanese elementary school in suburban Tokyo.

The Making of a Japanese

Featured Video: Ethical AI for Societal Good – Sushi Hackathon 2025

Audrey Tang on the civic, regulatory, and ethical dimensions of artificial intelligence in a polarized digital era – keynote remarks followed by a fireside chat with Gita Wirjawan.

Who We Are

The Japan Program at Stanford’s Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center cultivates multidisciplinary research and education on contemporary Japanese affairs. Through collaboration with experts from academia, government, business, and civil society, we engage in policy-relevant dialogue and scholarship to promote a comprehensive understanding of the internal and external political, economic, and social factors that influence the progress and development of Japan and its role within the Asia-Pacific region and on the world’s stage.

About Us