This year marks the 50th anniversary of the United States-Japan security alliance, a bilateral agreement on the U.S. military presence in Japan. Over the past five decades, the economies of these two countries have become increasingly interdependent, with Japan serving as one of the top trading partners for the U.S. and city of Dallas. But with the newly-elected Democratic Party of Japan assuming command and a dispute over the relocation of American troops in Okinawa causing friction between the countries, will the security alliance remain intact for the next decade? His Excellency Ichiro Fujisaki will discuss the future of U.S.-Japan relations in a Council address.

Ambassador Fujisaki assumed his position as the Ambassador of Japan to the United States in June 2008. Ambassador Fujisaki previously served as ambassador and permanent representative to the International Organizations in Geneva and as Japan’s deputy minister for foreign affairs, during which time he was also the prime minister's personal representative to the G8 Summit and Japan's chief negotiator for free trade agreements. Prior to that, Ambassador Fujisaki served as the director-general of the North American Affairs Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.