Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe heads to the Bay Area this week after visiting the White House and pledging in a speech to Congress to “fortify the U.S.-Japan alliance.” The Japanese leader is campaigning for a 12-nation trade agreement and faces pressure to publicly apologize for Japanese soldiers’ forced prostitution of women, euphemistically referred to as “comfort women,” during World War II. We take a closer look at the significance of Abe’s trip and the current state of U.S.-Japan relations.
Japan's Prime Minister Pushes Trade Pact During U.S. Tour
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe heads to the Bay Area this week after visiting the White House and pledging in a speech to Congress to "fortify the U.S.-Japan alliance." The Japanese leader is campaigning for a 12-nation trade agreement and faces pressure to publicly apologize for Japanese soldiers' forced prostitution of women, euphemistically referred to as "comfort women," during World War II. We take a closer look at the significance of Abe's trip and the current state of U.S.-Japan relations.
(SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)
Guests:
Tobias Harris, senior associate at Teneo Intelligence, a political risk services firm, and fellow at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA
Takeo Hoshi, director of the Japan Program at the Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center at Stanford University