Rising to the Challenge: The Japanese Disaster Relief Experience in the Great East Japan Earthquake: Implications for National and International Security.
The Great East Japan Earthquake that took place on the 3rd March 2011 represented one of the most devastating natural disasters that occurred in the history of modern Japan. The Japanese armed forces, formally known as the Japan Self-Defence Forces (JSDF), stood at the heart of the country’s response to this event, with the single largest military mobilisation in their history. How effective was the JSDF response to this disaster? What are the main implications of this event for Japanese defence policy and national security? What are the lessons that the JSDF have drawn from it? Has the Japanese response to the disaster contributed to change perceptions in the region about the nature and potential of Japanese defence capabilities?
Drawing upon a pool of international experts and senior military officers from Japan, China, the United States, Singapore, and the UK, the conference addresses the above questions. This conference is organised jointly by the Department of War Studies and Aoyama Gakuin University and is funded by the Japan Foundation and the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation. Please see flyer for full details.
Conference fee: £20. For King’s College London students registration for the conference is free of charge. Coffee, biscuits, light refreshments, and lunch will be provided during the conference. Please see the conference information document for more details.