Fletcher Security Review

Vol. 12 No. 1 | 2025 Edition

Violet Geinger

The Evolving Relationship between NATO and Japan under the Second Trump Administration

Komei Isozaki, F01

In the past decade, the rapid development of Japan’s relations with NATO has been noteworthy given its insular nature of defense relations in Japan. Starting with the conclusion of the Information Protection Agreement in 2010, Japan first participated in NATO’s crisis management exercise in 2014, and later NATO’s cyber exercise, and the sending of personnel to the NATO cyber defense center of excellence in Tallinn, Estonia.

Japan has upgraded its diplomatic function for NATO rapidly. In 2014, the Japanese Ambassador to Belgium was appointed as the permanent representative to NATO and established an independent permanent mission in January 2025.

These enhanced relationship with NATO has been built upon the gradual evolution of Japanese security policy in the last 3 decades since the widening and deepening of security concept and the people’s realization of security challenges are crucial to promote military cooperation with NATO countries.

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Komei Isozaki is a Japan Chair fellow at the Hudson Institute. Mr. Isozaki was Senior Director for Business Integration and Partner Coordination of the Tokyo Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (2018-2022). From 2016 to 2018, he was Director for the Biological and Chemical Weapon Conventions Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Mr. Isozaki was a visiting fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in 2005-2006 and 2012-2014. Prior to the abovementioned jobs, Mr. Isozaki worked at the Ministry of Defense of Japan nearly 30 years. His career included space policy, cyber policy, strategic dialogue, intelligence, and peacekeeping operations. He served as a policy advisor to the Commander of the Northern Army between 2010 and 2012. Mr. Isozaki received MA in international relations from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University and BA in Laws from Keio University.