In the eleventh episode of Japan Memo Season 3, Robert Ward and Togashi Mariko host Professor Tanaka Koichiro, a professor at the Graduate School of Media and Governance at Keio University, and Dr Hasan Alhasan, Research Fellow for Middle East Policy at the IISS. Robert, Mariko, Professor Tanaka, and Hasan discuss Japan’s relationship with the Middle East. Topics discussed include: Japan’s key strategic interests including energy security in the Middle East.Japan’s standpoint and communication strategy regarding the Israel and Hamas conflict.Geopolitical and economic motivations of great powers in the Middle East.The perspectives of Gulf countries towards great-power geopolitics in the Middle East.The outlook for Japan’s relationship with the Middle East. The following individuals are recommended by our guests to gain a clearer picture of the topics discussed:  Mohammed Jaber Al-Ansari, a prominent Bahraini philosopher and political thinker who is fascinated by the Japanese experience of being able to rise as a global industrial powerhouse. Dr Farhad Taghizadeh-Hesary, an associate professor of economics at Tokai University and a vice president and co-founder of the International Society for Energy Transition Studies (ISETS). We hope you enjoy the episode and please follow, rate, and subscribe to Japan Memo on the podcast platform of your choice. Date of Recording: 09 November 2023 Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.