Publication

Peer-Reviewed

• Sasaki, R. (2026). Weaponized paradiplomacy in and around Taiwan: subnational engagement as strategic tool in Sino-Japanese competition. The Pacific Review, 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1080/09512748.2025.2589168

• "Building Faster: Institutional Pathways for Agile Defense Acquisition in Japan," On Track, Vol.36 , (September 2025, CDA Institute)

• “Taiwan’s Defense Industry at a Crossroads: Challenges and Opportunities,” Asia Policy 20.3 (July 2025) 

• “Why Defending Taiwan is Crucial for the Future of the U.S.- Japan Alliance?,” Pacific Forum Issues & Insights Vol. 22, SR9, pp. 47-56, November 2022. https://pacforum.org/publication/why-defending-taiwan-is-crucial-for-the-future-of-the-u-s-japan-allianc

Working in Process

• ”Partnerships to Industrial Power: Japan’s Conversion of Defense Technology”, Asia Policy (October, 2026) *Invited 🆕

• Accident Narratives as Political Warfare: Attribution Bottlenecks in Gray-Zone Connectivity Attacks in a Taiwan Contingency (Policy paper for U.S. Naval War College) 🆕

• Something on Japan’s strategic culture 🆕

Book

• Sasaki, Rena. Jimetsu suru Beichū [The Self-Destructive United States and China]. Tokyo: SB Creative, 2026.

Policy Articles

• Sasaki, R. 2025. “Japan’s Taiwan Policy: Strategic Shift or Tactical Adaptation?” The Washington Quarterly 48 (4): 149–67. doi:10.1080/0163660X.2025.2593112. 

• ORF America, “Foursight: A Task Force On China’s Strategic Futures Joint Report”, November 18, 2024. https://orfamerica.org/newresearch/foursight-joint-report. 

• “Enhancing global and regional maritime order”, La Trobe Asia Brief vol. 10, 2023. https://www.latrobe.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/1537319/ltab10a.pdf.

• “Japan's new security aid program needs more firepower”, Nikkei Asia Magazine, November 2023.

• “Japan Needs a Defense Industrial Revolution”, Foreign Policy Magazine, Vol. Summer 2023, pp. 18-20, July 2023.

Commentary

• “The Three Pillars Underpinning the 2027 Centennial Military Building Goal”, China Brief,  Volume: 25 Issue: 18, September 25, 2025.

https://jamestown.org/program/the-three-pillars-underpinning-the-2027-centennial-military-building-goal/.

• ”PRC Uses Legal Warfare to Support Maritime Blockade Against Taiwan”, China Brief Volume: 25 Issue: 5, March 16, 2025.
  https://jamestown.org/program/prc-uses-legal-warfare-to-support-maritime-blockade-against-taiwan/

• “‘A New Type of War of Unification’: Liu Mingfu on the American Civil War’s Relevance to Taiwan”, China Brief Volume: 24 Issue: 14, July 3, 2024.
  https://jamestown.org/program/a-new-type-of-war-of-unification-liu-mingfu-on-the-american-civil-wars-relevance-to-taiwan/

• “Japan has role to play in bolstering Taiwan's defenses”, Nikkei Asia, March 15, 2024.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Japan-has-role-to-play-in-bolstering-Taiwan-s-defenses

• “From the Atlantic to the Pacific: Japan and integrated deterrence”, Britain’s World, 22 February 2024. https://www.geostrategy.org.uk/britains-world/from-the-pacific-to-the-atlantic-japans-efforts-to-build-integrated-deterrence/

• “Now is the time for Japan to join AUKUS”, East Asia Forum, November 22, 2023.

https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2023/11/22/now-is-the-time-for-japan-to-join-aukus/

• “Japan’s Path from Arms Export Ban to Promotion”, E-International Relations, November 15, 2023.

https://www.e-ir.info/2023/11/15/japans-path-from-arms-export-ban-to-promotion/

• “Japan's new security aid program needs more firepower”, Nikkei Asia, November 6, 2023.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Japan-s-new-security-aid-program-needs-more-firepower

• “Hollow supply chain pact no way to win over IPEF skeptics”, Nikkei Asia, June 7, 2023.
  https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Hollow-supply-chain-pact-no-way-to-win-over-IPEF-skeptics

• “Japan needs stronger deterrence than its new defence strategy signals”, The Strategist — The Australian Strategic Policy Institute, April 24, 2023.
  https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/japan-needs-stronger-deterrence-than-its-new-defence-strategy-signals/

• “Japan Needs a Defense Industrial Revolution”, Foreign Policy, March 9, 2023.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/03/09/japan-defense-industrial-revolution-security/

• “IPEF should defend Asian states against Chinese economic coercion,” Nikkei Asia, November 11, 2022.
  https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/IPEF-should-defend-Asian-states-against-Chinese-economic-coercion

• “The Mixed Legacy of Abe Shinzo’s ‘Panoramic’ Foreign Policy,” The Diplomat, September 27, 2022.
  https://thediplomat.com/2022/09/the-mixed-legacy-of-abe-shinzos-panoramic-foreign-policy/

• “The Quad Needs a Stronger Economic Message,” Interpreter | Lowy Institute, September 14, 2022. https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/quad-needs-stronger-economic-message.”

• “How the U.S. and Its Pacific Allies Are Approaching Taiwan.” International Policy Digest. August 18, 2022. https://intpolicydigest.org/how-the-u-s-and-its-pacific-allies-are-approaching-taiwan/.

• “Old Wounds Water down Japan–ROK–US Cooperation.” East Asia Forum, August 16, 2022. https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2022/08/16/old-wounds-water-down-japan-rok-us-cooperation/.

• “Japan’s Evolving Approach to the Taiwan Strait.”, The Diplomat, August 10, 2022. https://thediplomat.com/2022/08/japans-evolving-approach-to-the-taiwan-strait/.

• “How to Make Competition and Cooperation Coexist?” Initiative for U. S.-China Dialogue on Global, Georgetown University, January 18, 2022. https://uschinadialogue.georgetown.edu/responses/how-to-make-competition-and-cooperation-coexist.