On March 11, Tsuneo Akaha will participate in a panel discussion, “The Year Ahead: How Japan Can Help Shape the New Asia,” sponsored by the Japan Society of Northern California. Here is a description of the event:

Japan’s place in the world is changing. Will Tokyo carve out a new role as economic catalyst and mentor for the region, and wise balancer in the turbulent realignment of alliances and rivalries as US hegemony fades around the world? With China replacing Japan as the world’s second largest economy, and Japan’s own internal difficulties eroding its claim to leadership in the region, it is vital for Japan to find ways to be a strong “team player” in shaping the new Asia, both on its own and in the context of the US-Japan alliance.

Join our expert symposium participants—including Dr. Tsuneo Akaha, Brad Glosserman, JD, Dr. William H. Overholt, Daniel C. Sneider, MA, and Dr. Steven K. Vogel—as they explore Japan’s role in Asia in a new era of declining relative Japanese economic power, growing regional concern about the new Chinese assertiveness, and the heightened emphasis on Asia in the second half of the Obama presidency.