He added that Japan can help the U.S. in this strategic alliance by being a good economic partner and help with joint efforts to protect strategic supply chains. “We can also be a partner in some of the global challenges of the society, like the pandemic and global climate challenge and drive the focus in the Pacific region to facilitate U.S. engagement in the relationship,” Tomita said.
Len Schoppa, a UVA professor of politics and Japan expert who is teaching a course in Japanese politics this fall, came to hear the ambassador with a few students from his class.
“It was great to see a strong turnout from among our students at this event and have Ambassador Tomita mention the complicated relationship between China and Japan,” he said. “China is just too big and too close for Japan to think it can simply contain it the way we did with the Soviet Union.”
About 80 Japanese students are on Grounds this fall, studying in a broad range of fields from the undergraduate to the Ph.D. candidate level. Japan is also a key study-abroad partner, where UVA has sent about 300 students over the past five years. The University also boasts a very active Japanese language program, including a Japanese language house.