News Update
Japan's Cuban Crisis Simulation
Final Day
The game has come finllay to an end. Militarily, the US and Japan have seemed to "successfully" prevented Russia from introducing and deploying nuclear weapons in the Northern Territories by a substantial blockade. The US has demostrated its stong alliance commintment to Japan and was able to show its strengh in intelligence and deterrence power against Russia. It even showed its readiness to continue the strong posture in the region.
For Japan, on the other hand, the legal and political challenges were 1) how to explain to the public and the world that the substantial blockade as not really a blockade, which is an act of war regulated by international law, and 2) to support the local fishing and related domestic industries that have been significantly affected by the highly tensed situations in the region. Japan's victory conditions have to be assesed against how well or badly Japan Team dealt with those problems.
Regarding Russia, are the Northern Territories really its main objective? Given that Russia's major and vital battle field is still Ukraine, keeping Washington's attention and military presense to the Northern Territories serves its main interest.
For China, too, the situation has become favorable to it as the presidential election in Taiwan resulted almost exactly in the way it had intended and therefore now can redirect its military and political resources to the South China sea. However, the region now seems to be the next crisis point as the China-Philippines conflict is becoming more serious.
The next task for the participants of this wargaming and simulation program will be to discuss those and other more detailed outcomes of this game and draw lessones and takeaways about Japan's stratetic and secruity environment and policy direction. I am sure there will be many questions, arguments, and debates as more detailed and sensitive game data are revealed... .
Of course, the participants of Control Team will put together the data captured and analyze and assess them by linking them to the initial objectives of the game. Yes, learning about game analysis is one of the most important exercises in this activity. I look forward to our next session slated for early December.
Finally, I wish to express my sincere gratitude to all those who have participated in the series of the games and lectures in this program and those who have supported it in one way or another. 👏
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