Kakihara Kuniharu

Retired Lieutenant General Kakihara Kuniharu of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) graduated from the National Defense Academy and holds an M.A. in Area Studies from the University of Tsukuba, as well as an M.S. in National Security Strategy from the U.S. National Defense University.

He is currently the Principal Research Director at the National Security Institute, Fujitsu Defense & National Security, Ltd., and also serves as a Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Geoeconomics, where he leads the International Security Order Group. In the JASDF, he held several senior leadership positions, including Commander of the Air Development and Test Command, Commandant of the Air Command and Staff College, and Chief of Staff at the Air Defense Command.

Lt. Gen. Kakihara’s research focuses on national defense strategy and international security issues. He has authored several scholarly papers, including “Counterbalancing China: Improving the Effectiveness of Resilient Response and Deterrence by Allied Forces,” published in JAAS Asiya Kenkyu (2015).

He will be in residence at the Harvard University Asia Center for the academic years 2025–26 and 2026–27. His research project during this period is titled "Theories of Victory Studies in China, Japan, and Taiwan."