Report subtitle: “A quiet but looming crisis in US-Japan relations and a call for action (and funding)“

My latest publication… a ~5000-word report highlighting the accelerating disappearance of expertise and course offerings on Japanese foreign policy/U.S.-Japan relations at major U.S. research universities and recommending several lines of action to reverse the tide… has just been published by the U.S.-Japan Foundation. Please take a look!

ABSTRACT: “Despite bipartisan recognition in Washington that Japan is America’s “indispensable ally” in confronting complex global challenges, faculty expertise and courses on U.S.–Japan relations and Japanese foreign policy at major American universities are on the verge of generational collapse. This report calls for urgent action—especially external funding—to sustain America’s pipeline of related Japan expertise.”

This report is based primarily on my informal 2023-2024 survey of circumstances at the U.S. “top 100” national universities. The results of that survey were, in two words, extremely sobering. You can read the report for free–in English (original) or Japanese (translation)–at the links below.

My report had two primary objectives: (1) to sound the alarm and raise public awareness of this unfortunate situation, and (2) to catalyze a broader bilateral discussion both within and outside academia about how best to address it. Please help me get the word out, especially to business leaders and philanthropists in America and Japan who may be able to help do something about this unfortunate state of affairs.

A suggested citation, links to the full text in English and Japanese, and executive summary appear below. I am grateful to Jake Schlesinger and the wonderful staff at the U.S.-Japan Foundation for making this possible.

Adam P. Liff. “Japan: America’s Indispensable Ally, Except in U.S. Academia…” U.S.-Japan Foundation. 2025.

アダム・リッフ. 「米学界からの警鐘:消えつつある日本外交・日米関係の専門家」米日財団. 2025年. （A4版; レター版）

Executive Summary

• Despite bipartisan recognition in Washington DC today that the US partnership with Japan is uniquely vital for the United States’ efforts to address a wide array of pressing global challenges, at America’s “top 100” universities, faculty expertise and course offerings on contemporary US-Japan relations and Japanese foreign/security policy are on the verge of a generational collapse.
• A sharp drop-off in Japan foreign policy–related hiring over the past two decades threatens the future pipeline of US-based scholars devoted to both
  • providing a deep and nuanced understanding of the US-Japan alliance and Japan’s increasingly important role in international affairs, and
  • inspiring future leaders of the US-Japan relationship in academia, business, civil society, government, media and other fields.
• The accelerating disappearance of related faculty expertise and opportunities for students is a nationwide trend but is particularly acute in the oft-neglected middle of the country, and especially in so-called “red” and “purple” states.
• For those who care about the future of mutual understanding and the long-term health and stability of the US-Japan partnership across all of America, this should be an “all-hands-on-deck” moment.
• Financial investments from concerned outside entities and individuals are urgently needed to reverse the tide and to support hiring of faculty, course offerings, research opportunities, and intellectual programming on Japanese foreign policy and US-Japan relations. Three mutually reinforcing lines of effort should take priority:
  • New endowments and grants from US and Japanese corporations, foundations, and philanthropists specifically earmarked to support this field
• • Proactive and creative pooling of resources to maximize impact, e.g., through public-private partnerships
  • Strategic investment, particularly in those US universities and regions where the marginal impact is likely to be greatest