Episode 47: A Conversation with Taro Kono, Former Foreign, Defense & Digital Minister of Japan

In Tokyo, SCSP President Ylli Bajraktari and VP for Global Affairs Joe Wang sat down with Taro KONO — former Foreign Minister, Defense Minister, and Digital Minister of Japan, and one of the most influential figures in the LDP — for a wide-ranging conversation on Japan’s place in a rapidly shifting world.

The conversation covered four major themes shaping Japan’s strategic future:

The Geopolitical Landscape: Kono traces how China’s rise changed everything — from its WTO accession to its island-building in the South China Sea — and why Japan will need more than just the U.S.-Japan security treaty alone to guarantee stability in East Asia.

Trump, Beijing, and the Alliance: Kono offers a candid assessment of Trump’s Beijing visit, which may have embolded Xi to act more aggressively against Japan and others in the Indo-Pacific, and why coordinated allied policy vis-à-vis China is urgently needed.

Japan’s Defense Transformation: From increasing defense spending and building a robust domestic defense industry, Kono lays out the path Japan must take to shoulder more of its own security burden.

AI, Autonomy, and Japan’s Digital Future: Kono reflects on his time as Digital Minister, Japan’s demographic crisis driving AI adoption in government, the rise of drone warfare, and why Japan sees a “quad plus” technology alliance as the realistic path forward.

Check out their conversation on the SCSP YouTube channel!

Memos to the President Podcast is a product of the Special Competitive Studies Project.