The Japan-US alliance, long a cornerstone of Pacific security, has its roots over seventy years ago with the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security. Despite the shifting geopolitical landscape in Asia and beyond, the foundations of Japan-US collaboration are ironclad. In Prime Minister Ishiba’s meeting with President Trump in early February, the two leaders not only reaffirmed their commitment to security in the Indo-Pacific, but also enhanced cooperation in a range of key areas from technology to energy and cross-border investment.

With the increasing strategic challenges in Asia, conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, and a "Trump 2.0" presidency built on “America First” policies, the security environment and diplomatic intricacies in Asia and beyond have grown all the more complex, with urgent regional tensions demanding new creativity from the nations in their joint pursuit of security and diplomacy. In a restless time, Japan, the US, and its like-minded partners in Asia face new challenges and opportunities in order to ensure peace, security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.

Now, more than ever, the world will look to one of the longest standing alliances to see how the two countries move forward on diplomatic and security issues while dealing with this new geopolitical reality. How will the new administrations in both Japan and the US effectively work together to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific? What are the challenges faced by countries in the region and beyond in this unpredictable geopolitical order? Moreover, what are some of the new opportunities for Japan-US bilateral cooperation, as well as with the other countries in the Indo-Pacific?