Japan-U.S. Discussion Forum

About the Forum | Book Reviews | How to Join | Support the Forum | Forum Leadership

About the Japan Forum

NBR’s Japan-U.S. Discussion Forum (the "Japan Forum") is an online community for discussion, analysis, and information on issues concerning contemporary U.S.-Japan relations, Japanese politics, economics, security, and social issues.

Launched in 2000, this community—with over 800 members representing 25 countries—has become an essential vehicle for discussion on issues relating to Japan and Japan-U.S. relations among academics, business people, policymakers, and others. On average, members post 60 messages a week to the Forum; members have contributed over 28,000 posts since 2000.

Forum Moderator

Dr. Edward G. Griffin, former State Department officer and professorial lecturer at George Washington University, has served as the moderator since the Forum’s launch. Dr. Griffon reviews each message before posting as well as encourages new topics and helps guide discussions.

Forum Features

Along with providing a platform for discussions on Japanese affairs, NBR’s Japan Forum also provides special features for Forum members and visitors, including:

Links to topical news and blogs – Every week, the Forum posts links to the top news stories on Japanese politics, economy, health, and cultural issues.

Interviews with Forum members - The Japan Forum conducts interviews with scholars on the Forum about current topics in Japanese affairs. Recent interviews include:

• Disputed Claims in the East China Sea - Q&A with James Manicom, Balsillie School of International Affairs
• The Future of Nuclear Energy in Japan - Q&A with Daniel P. Aldrich, Purdue University
• Japan after Kan: Implications for the DPJ's Political Future - Q&A with Richard J. Samuels, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Japan's Shifting Security Environment - Q&A with Christopher W. Hughes, University of Warwick
• Japan's Debt Challenge - Q&A with William W. Grimes, Boston University

Japanese Publication Reviews

With funding support provided by the United States-Japan Foundation, Ms. Fumiko Halloran—winner of the Oya Soichi Award for Best Non-Fiction and longtime Forum member—regularly submits to the Forum English-language book reviews of Japanese publications. Since the project began in 2007, Ms. Halloran has posted over forty analytical reviews that have covered a range of topics—from former Health, Welfare and Labor Minister Yoichi Masuzoe’s recommendations to ease tensions between Japanese policymakers and bureaucrats to the rise of Japanese PhD holders who are struggling to find employment.

August 2011 Review

House of Yamanaka, Art Dealer Who Sold Oriental Treasures to Americans and Europeans by Yuriko Kuchiki (Shinchosha, 2011)

This August 2011 book review examines the rise and fall of the Japanese art dealer Yamanaka & Co. from late-19th century to the early-21st century, and its role in helping make popular Japanese art among Western artists and art collectors.

Read the full August 2011 review | Visit the book review archive

Join the Forum

The Forum is a free public moderated email forum. In order to join, all members are asked to read and agree to the Forum's Terms and Conditions.

Join the Forum | Visit the Japan Forum’s online message archive

Japan Forum Supporters

The Forum is supported by funding from the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission, the U.S.-Japan Foundation, and by contributions from Forum members.

Supporting the Japan Forum

NBR's Japan-U.S. Discussion Forum is holding its 2011 fundraising campaign right now. If you appreciate the service provided by the Japan Forum, please consider making a contribution, and help us reach our 2011 fundraising goal of $7,000.

To make a contribution or to print out a donation form to mail or fax, please visit the Japan Forum’s fund drive site.

Donate online or by mail or fax.

Japan Forum 2011 Supporters

NBR wishes to recognize and offer our sincere thanks to these Forum members who have contributed to the Forum's 2011 fund drive campaign. Thank you so much for your support!

Todd A. Kreider
John Kuehn
Terry MacDougall
Jonathan Malamud
Rabinder Malik
Michael Michalak
William Michael Meserve
Minoru Mochizuki
Robert Neff
Tomoaki Nomi
Scott North
Wallace Offutt
William O'Neil
William Overholt
T.J. Pempel
Lynette Perkins
Jocelyn Probert
Kenneth B. Pyle
James R. Rhodes
Gregg Rubinstein
David Ruggles
Susan Schmidt
Doreen Simmons
Yul Sohn
Mark T. Staples
Mark Tilton
Tracy Timmons-Gray
Shigehiko Togo
Robert J. Tomkin
Hiro Toyofuku
Adrian Tschoegl
Scott Urista
Charles Weathers
Nichole Weber
James D. White
Robin White
Ira Wolf
Jane Yamazaki

Forum Leadership

The Japan Forum is moderated by Dr. Edward Griffon and managed by NBR. A group of leading Japan specialists and scholars also serve on the Forum’s Advisory board.

Japan Forum Advisory Board

Marie Anchordoguy
Professor, Japan Studies Program, Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington

Richard J. Ellings
President, The National Bureau of Asian Research

Robert Alan Feldman
Managing Director and Co-Director of Japan Research for Morgan Stanley Japan

Michael J. Green
Japan Chair and Senior Adviser, Center for Strategic and International Studies
Associate Professor, Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University

Anne E. Imamura
Area Studies Division Director, Foreign Service Institute, US Department of State

Edward J. Lincoln
Director, The Center for Japan-U.S. Business and Economic Studies, Stern School of Business, New York University

T.J. Pempel
Professor of Political Science, University of California-Berkeley

Kenneth B. Pyle
Founding President, The National Bureau of Asian Research
Professor of History and East Asian Studies, University of Washington

Tomohito Shinoda
Professor, International University of Japan

Akihiko Tanaka
Professor, Institute of Oriental Culture, University of Tokyo

Ira Wolf
Japan Representative, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)

"In addition to the lively discussion of current issues, the Forum is proving to be an excellent source of information on recent publications. I particularly look forward to Fumiko Halloran's useful book reviews.”

Japan Forum member Kenneth B. Pyle

Read more about NBR's Japan Forum by visiting the Forum's online message archive