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Interview with Watanabe “Nabe” Tsuneo: How Japan is augmenting its alliance with the U.S.

As the U.S. becomes increasingly unpredictable, Japan is initiating “Plan A Plus.” One of Japan’s top U.S. experts cautions Americans against isolationism.

Lefteris Kafatos
1–2 minutes
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Interview with Japan-U.S. expert Watanabe Tsuneo of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation. Some key takeaways:

  • History lesson to American skeptics of the alliance: The U.S. was able to secure its defense and economic prosperity by controlling the Pacific
  • Japan’s defense “Plan A” used to hinge on relying on the U.S., but that is no longer tenable
  • New defense “Plan A+” involves Japan prioritizing the U.S. alliance while also strengthening defense capabilities and ties with likeminded partners
  • If the U.S. abandons the alliance, it could push Japan into China’s sphere of influence

(Click here for a longer interview conducted in Japanese.)

Watanabe Tsuneo Bio

Watanabe “Nabe” Tsuneo went to New York in 1995 to attend The New School, where he earned a Master’s degree in political science. After completing his degree he went to Washington, D.C. to join the Center for Strategic and International Studies, or CSIS. He was appointed senior fellow at CSIS where his specialty was Japanese politics and party policies, especially those pertaining to diplomacy and defense. Mr. Watanabe also researched U.S.-Japan relations and defense in Asia.

Mr. Watanabe also served as senior fellow at the Mitsui Global Strategic Studies Institute in Tokyo from 2005 to 2009. And, while he still works as a researcher for CSIS, he is best known for his work at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, where he serves as senior fellow. He continues his research at Sasakawa with focus on diplomacy, Japan/U.S. defense policy, and Japan-U.S. relations.

Additionally, Mr. Watanabe is leading an initiative between Sasakawa and the Hudson Institute. He also appears frequently as a commentator on Japan’s top news shows, including Shinso News, Hodo 1930, and Prime News just to name a few. Mr. Watanabe also serves as an advisor to the Japanese government.

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Watanabe “Nabe” Tsuneo is based in Tokyo where he conducts research at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation. Visit his bio page to access his published works and interviews. The Japan Lens sincerely thanks him for sharing his time and expertise.

Photo 1:  Researcher Watanabe “Nabe” Tsuneo speaking with The Japan Lens (April 2026).

No artificial intelligence or machine translation programs were used in the creation of this post.

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