While North Korea’s third nuclear weapons test in 2013 has faded from the headlines, the country continues to modernize its nuclear and missile programs, and Japan is perhaps the most vulnerable to a North Korean nuclear strike. The North Korean nuclear threat is a growing concern in Tokyo and will influence the revision of the U.S.-Japan bilateral defense cooperation guidelines. 

Sugio Takahashi explained Japan’s perspective on North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile programs and how the threat will impact the U.S.-Japan alliance and U.S. extended deterrence. James L. Schoff moderated.

Sugio Takahashi

Sugio Takahashi is a senior fellow at Japan’s National Institute for Defense Studies. One of Japan’s top analysts on nuclear and extended deterrence issues, he regularly consults the Japanese government as deputy director of the Strategic Planning Office in the Ministry of Defense.

James L. Schoff

James L. Schoff is a senior associate in the Carnegie Asia Program. His research focuses on U.S.-Japanese relations and regional engagement, Japanese politics and security, and the private sector’s role in Japanese policymaking. He previously served as senior adviser for East Asia policy at the U.S. Office of the Secretary of Defense and as director of Asia Pacific Studies at the Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis.