We will hear from japanese epidemics at the center for strategic and international studies. Good afternoon. Thanks for joining us. I am mike green and a professor at georgetown, we are delighted to have all of you join us in discussion over the next two hours with four of japans rising academic thinkers on Foreign Policy and economic affairs. This is the seventh cohort we have invited under a program called strategic japan. Eight years ago we discussed with the Prime Ministers Office how to expand Strategic Thinking dialogue, planning between the us and japan. One thing to think about which was new for japan was the need to go beyond the traditional bureaucratic sources and to tap into the growing expertise among japans academic experts on issues that affect foreignpolicy and to bring more academics into the tent in japan and expand the dialogue with the us and to make sure japanese scholars who are making an impact in japan are sharing their ideas with the us, getting reactions and re