DUS Aarhus: Japan’s evolving role in Asia's security
19. februar 2026 17.00 - 19.00
“Japan is back!” The words of late Prime Minister Abe Shinzo in 2013 captured the beginning of a new era in Japan's foreign and security policy.
Long associated with its postwar pacifism and attachment to checkbook diplomacy, Japan has embraced a more proactive security and defence posture. Through reforms to its national security institutions, deepening alliances, and an expansion of regional partnerships, Japan has positioned itself as a leading actor in the evolving Indo-Pacific strategic landscape.
With China expanding its military power, North Korea continuing its missile and nuclear development, and questions growing around the future reliability of the US security umbrella, Japan has increasingly prioritised deterrence. How did Japan get here – and what does this shift mean for security in the region?
To answer these questions, Dr Eva Pejsova will take us through Japan’s security transition over the past decade. She will outline the geopolitical context behind the shift, look at the external pressures and domestic debates shaping Japan’s choices, and discuss what Japan’s new direction could mean for regional and global security.
Dr Eva Pejsova currently holds the Japan Chair at the Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy (CSDS) at the Brussels School of Governance (BSoG). She has previously worked with the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the French Prime Minister’s Office, the OECD, and the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF).
The event is organised by Japan Studies within the Global Studies programme at Aarhus University, in partnership with The Danish Foreign Policy Society Aarhus and in collaboration with Dokk1. It forms part of a lecture series on Japan, supported by the Sasakawa Foundation.
Long associated with its postwar pacifism and attachment to checkbook diplomacy, Japan has embraced a more proactive security and defence posture. Through reforms to its national security institutions, deepening alliances, and an expansion of regional partnerships, Japan has positioned itself as a leading actor in the evolving Indo-Pacific strategic landscape.
With China expanding its military power, North Korea continuing its missile and nuclear development, and questions growing around the future reliability of the US security umbrella, Japan has increasingly prioritised deterrence. How did Japan get here – and what does this shift mean for security in the region?
To answer these questions, Dr Eva Pejsova will take us through Japan’s security transition over the past decade. She will outline the geopolitical context behind the shift, look at the external pressures and domestic debates shaping Japan’s choices, and discuss what Japan’s new direction could mean for regional and global security.
Dr Eva Pejsova currently holds the Japan Chair at the Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy (CSDS) at the Brussels School of Governance (BSoG). She has previously worked with the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the French Prime Minister’s Office, the OECD, and the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF).
The event is organised by Japan Studies within the Global Studies programme at Aarhus University, in partnership with The Danish Foreign Policy Society Aarhus and in collaboration with Dokk1. It forms part of a lecture series on Japan, supported by the Sasakawa Foundation.
Arrangør:
The Danish Foreign Policy Society Aarhus, Japan Studies at Aarhus University, Dokk1
Tidspunkt
19. februar 2026
17.00 - 19.00