Writing in these pages previously I've made the case that given the current leaderless world, this is Japan's global moment. Having recently returned from Eurasia Group's G-Zero Summit in Tokyo, which built upon this theme, I've never been more convinced of Japan's ability to lead through harmony and humility rather than polarization and arrogance.
Simply looking at Japan through the prism of geopolitics doesn't do justice to the broader perspective and value that it brings to the world. Japan today is an artistic, culinary and cultural superpower. Its unique soft power extends far beyond sushi and sake to the designs and philosophies that have been popularized from Muji to Marie Kondo. In the age of social media and short attention spans, this soft power has never been more necessary or valuable.
Populism and polarization have overtaken Washington along with most other Western capitals, but not Tokyo. Instead a new emperor and the longest serving prime minister in Japanese history are bucking the trend with an island of stability in the midst of protests rocking Hong Kong, Chile, Lebanon and beyond. While America is consumed by the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump and Britain is twisted up with the Brexit saga, Japan's scandals such as the most recent cherry blossom viewing inquiry seem almost quaint.
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