The relationship between Japan and the EU has become increasingly important over the past decade. Not only for the participants themselves, but also in terms of the role they can play as partners on the world stage through contributions to stability and world peace. To shed light on our current situation and possible future developments, Japan Up Close has hosted a special online seminar, “Japan Up Close with Europe: Perspectives on How to Further this Key Relationship,” bringing together specialists in political science for an open discussion of Japan-EU issues related to digital connectivity, education and healthcare, and international security.

The participants were Dr. Maaike Okano-Heijmans, a senior research fellow at the Netherlands Institute for International Relations in The Hague, Dr. Joanna Guzik, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Middle and Far East, Jagiellonian University (JU) in Krakow, Poland, and Dr. Karlis Bukovskis, Deputy Director of the Latvian Institute of International Affairs. The event was moderated by Dr. Tosh Minohara, Professor of International Relations and Security Studies at the Graduate School of Law and Politics, Kobe University, and founder and chairman of the non-profit Research Institute of Indo-Pacific Affairs (RIIPA).