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The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500

United   States-Japan Joint Leaders’   Statement

Global Partners for the Future

Over the course of the last three years, the U.S.-Japan Alliance has reached unprecedented heights. We arrived at this historic moment because our nations, individually and together, took courageous steps to strengthen our collective capacity in ways that would have seemed impossible just a few years ago. Today, we, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. and Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio, celebrate this new era of U.S.-Japan strategic cooperation during the Prime Minister’s Official Visit and State Dinner in Washington, D.C.—and pledge that the United States and Japan will continue our tireless work, together and with other partners, to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific and world.

In this new era of U.S.-Japan cooperation, we recognize that global events affect the security and stability of the Indo-Pacific, and that developments in our shared region reverberate around the world. We are therefore working together, across all domains and at all levels, to build a global partnership that is fit for purpose to address the complex, interconnected challenges of today and tomorrow for the benefit of our two countries and the world. As our Alliance cooperation reaches new heights, we are expanding our engagement to reflect the global nature of our partnership.

At the core of our cooperation is a shared commitment to work with like-minded partners and multilateral institutions to address common challenges and to ensure a world that is free, open, connected, resilient, and secure. These joint efforts are based on our shared fundamental respect for international law, including the protection and promotion of human rights and dignity, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states, and the prohibition on acquisition of territory by force. Our purpose as partners is to uphold and bolster the free and open international order based on the rule of law that has allowed so many nations to develop and prosper, and to ensure our Alliance is equipped to tackle the challenges of the 21 st century.

To advance our global partnership, today we announce several new strategic initiatives to strengthen our defense and security cooperation; reach new frontiers in space; drive technology innovation; bolster economic security; accelerate climate action; partner on global diplomacy and development; and fortify the ties between our peoples. Through our global partnership, we are also synchronizing our strategies, and our two nations have never been more united as we work together to address the most pressing challenges and opportunities of the future.

Strengthening our Defense and Security Cooperation

The core of our global partnership is our bilateral defense and security cooperation under the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security, which is stronger than ever. We affirm that our Alliance remains the cornerstone of peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. President Biden reiterated the unwavering commitment of the United States to the defense of Japan under Article V of the Treaty, using its full range of capabilities, including nuclear capabilities. Prime Minister Kishida reaffirmed Japan’s unwavering commitment to fundamentally reinforce its own defense capabilities and roles, and to enhance its close coordination with the United States under the Treaty.President Biden also reaffirmed that Article V applies to the Senkaku Islands. We reiterated our strong opposition to any attempts by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion in the East China Sea, including through actions that seek to undermine Japan’s longstanding and peaceful administration of the Senkaku Islands. We welcome the progress in optimizing Alliance force posture in areas including the Southwestern Islands to strengthen U.S.-Japan deterrence and response capabilities, and we confirm the importance of further advancing this initiative.

The United States welcomes the steps Japan is taking to fundamentally enhance its defense capabilities, including its plans to increase the budget for its defense capabilities and complementary initiatives to two percent of GDP in Japanese Fiscal Year (JFY) 2027 in accordance with Japan’s National Security Strategy, its decision to possess counterstrike capabilities, and its plans to stand up the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) Joint Operations Command to enhance command and control of the JSDF. Together, these initiatives elevate our defense ties to unprecedented levels and launch a new era of U.S.-Japan security cooperation, strengthening our Alliance and contributing to stability in the Indo-Pacific.

Today, we announce several new strategic initiatives to further advance our Alliance. Recognizing the speed at which regional security challenges evolve and to ensure our bilateral Alliance structures meet these critical changes, we announce our intention to bilaterally upgrade our respective command and control frameworks to enable seamless integration of operations and capabilities and allow for greater interoperability and planning between U.S. and Japanese forces in peacetime and during contingencies. More effective U.S.-Japan Alliance command and control will strengthen deterrence and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific in the face of pressing regional security challenges. We call on our respective defense and foreign ministries to develop this new relationship through the Security Consultative Committee (our security “2+2”). In support of this vision, we also reaffirm our goal to deepen Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance cooperation and Alliance information sharing capabilities, including through the Bilateral Information Analysis Cell.

We will also continue to implement efforts to strengthen our Alliance force posture, build high-end base capabilities, and increase preparedness that are necessary to deter and defend against threats. We resolve to deepen bilateral cooperation toward the effective development and employment of Japan’s suite of counterstrike capabilities, including the provision of U.S. materiel and technological support to enhance Japan’s indigenous stand-off programs. The United States expressed its commitment to start the training pipeline and ship modifications for Japan to acquire operational capability of the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) system. We also reaffirmed our pursuit of a Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI) cooperative development program to counter high-end, regional hypersonic threats.

As our countries strengthen our bilateral ties, we will continue to build our relationships with like-minded partners in the region. Today, we announce our vision to cooperate on a networked air defense architecture among the United States, Japan, and Australia to counter growing air and missile threats. Recognizing Japan’s strengths and the close bilateral defense partnerships with the AUKUS countries, AUKUS partners – Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States – are considering cooperation with Japan on AUKUS Pillar II advanced capability projects. Continuing the momentum from the Camp David Summit, we welcome progress on establishing an annual multidomain exercise between the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea (ROK). Recognizing the commitments made in the Atlantic Declaration and the Hiroshima Accord, and as the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions become ever more interlinked, we welcome the announcement of regular U.S.-Japan-UK trilateral exercises, beginning in 2025, as we enhance our shared and enduring security. Building on the announcement at the Australia Official Visit in October to pursue trilateral cooperation with Japan on unmanned aerial systems, we are exploring cooperative opportunities in the rapidly emerging field of collaborative combat aircraft and autonomy.

The United States welcomes Japan’s revision of the Three Principles on the Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology and its Implementation Guidelines, which bolsters cooperation through joint development and production to enhance our deterrence capabilities in the region. To leverage our respective industrial bases to meet the demand for critical capabilities and maintain readiness over the long term, we will convene a Forum on Defense Industrial Cooperation, Acquisition and Sustainment (DICAS) co-led by the U.S. Department of Defense and Japan’s Ministry of Defense to identify priority areas for partnering U.S. and Japanese industry, including co-development and co-production of missiles and co-sustainment of forward-deployed U.S. Navy ships and U.S. Air Force aircraft, including fourth generation fighters, at Japanese commercial facilities, in coordination with relevant ministries. This forum, in conjunction with our existing Defense Science and Technology Cooperation Group, will better integrate and align our defense industrial policy, acquisition, and science and technology ecosystems. The DICAS will provide updates on progress to the foreign and defense ministers in the security “2+2.” We also commit to establishing a working group to explore opportunities for future fighter pilot training and readiness, including AI and advanced simulators, and co-development and co-production of cutting-edge technologies such as common jet trainers to maintain combat-ready next-generation fighter airpower.

We reaffirm the critical importance of continuing to enhance U.S. extended deterrence, bolstered by Japan’s defense capabilities, and will further strengthen bilateral cooperation. In this regard, we call on our respective foreign and defense ministers to hold in-depth discussions on extended deterrence on the occasion of the next security “2+2” meeting.

We continue to deepen our cooperation on information and cyber security to ensure that our Alliance stays ahead of growing cyber threats and builds resilience in the information and communication technology domain. We also plan on enhancing our cooperation on the protection of critical infrastructure.

Recognizing the importance of rapidly responding to frequent and severe climate change-related and other natural disasters, we plan to explore cooperation on the establishment of a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief hub in Japan.

In order to maintain deterrence and mitigate impact on local communities, we are firmly committed to the steady implementation of the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan in accordance with Okinawa Consolidation Plan, including the construction of the Futenma Replacement Facility at Henoko as the only solution that avoids the continued use of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.

Reaching New Frontiers in Space

Our global partnership extends to space, where the United States and Japan are leading the way to explore our solar system and return to the Moon. Today, we welcome the signing of a Lunar Surface Exploration Implementing Arrangement, in which Japan plans to provide and sustain operation of a pressurized lunar rover while the United States plans to allocate two astronaut flight opportunities to the lunar surface for Japan on future Artemis missions. The leaders announced a shared goal for a Japanese national to be the first non-American astronaut to land on the Moon on a future Artemis mission, assuming important benchmarks are achieved. The United States and Japan plan to deepen cooperation on astronaut training to facilitate this goal while managing the risks of these challenging and inspiring lunar surface missions. We also announce bilateral collaboration on a Low Earth Orbit detection and tracking constellation for missiles such as hypersonic glide vehicles, including potential collaboration with U.S. industry.

Leading on Innovation , Economic Security, and Climate Action

The United States and Japan aim to maximally align our economic, technology, and related strategies to advance innovation, strengthen our industrial bases, promote resilient and reliable supply chains, and build the strategic emerging industries of the future while pursuing deep emissions reductions this decade. Building on our efforts in the U.S.-Japan Competitiveness and Resilience (CoRe) Partnership, including through the U.S.-Japan Economic Policy Consultative Committee (our economic “2+2”), we intend to sharpen our innovative edge and strengthen our economic security, including by promoting and protecting critical and emerging technologies.

The United States and Japan welcome our robust economic and commercial ties through mutual investment, including Microsoft’s $2.9 billion investment in Japan on AI and cloud infrastructure, workforce training, and a research lab; and Toyota’s recent additional $8 billion battery production investment for a cumulative $13.9 billion investment in North Carolina. Japan is the top foreign investor in the United States with nearly $800 billion in foreign direct investment, and Japanese companies employ nearly 1 million Americans across all 50 states. Similarly, as a top foreign investor in Japan for many years, the United States is supporting Japan’s economic growth, and as two of the world’s largest financial sectors, we commit to strengthening our partnership to bolster cross-border investment and support financial stability. As robust and creative economies, we also plan to accelerate investment in our respective start-up environments to foster innovation through the “Japan Innovation Campus” in Silicon Valley and the “Global Startup Campus” to be established in Tokyo, and in companies that take actions toward sustainable value creation (SX). We welcome our new Japan-U.S. personnel exchange programs on startups and venture capital firms under the Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) initiative.

We are committed to strengthening our shared role as global leaders in the development and protection of next-generation critical and emerging technologies such as AI, quantum technology, semiconductors, and biotechnology through research exchange and private investment and capital finance, including with other like-minded partners. We welcome our collaboration on AI for Science between Riken and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) founded on the revised project arrangement.

We applaud the establishment of $110 million in new AI research partnerships – between the University of Washington and University of Tsukuba and between Carnegie Mellon University and Keio University – through funding from NVIDIA, Arm, Amazon, Microsoft, and a consortium of Japanese companies. We are committed to further advancing the Hiroshima AI Process and strengthening collaboration between the national AI Safety Institutes.

Building on our long history of semiconductor cooperation, we intend to establish a joint technology agenda for cooperation on issues such as research and development, design, and workforce development. We also welcome the robust cooperation between and with our private sectors, especially in next-generation semiconductors and advanced packaging. We also plan to work together along with like-minded countries to strengthen global semiconductor supply chains, particularly for mature node (“legacy”) semiconductors through information-sharing, coordination of policies, and addressing vulnerabilities stemming from non-market policies and practices. We also celebrate the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) and the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as a first step in bilateral cooperation on quantum computing.

Building on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) and our respective leadership of the G7 and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) last year, we continue to advance resilience, sustainability, inclusiveness, economic growth, fairness, and competitiveness for our economies . We applaud the recent entry into force of the IPEF Supply Chain Agreement. We will continue to seek cooperation on critical minerals projects, including those along the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment Lobito Corridor, and through the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) as well as the Partnership for Resilient and Inclusive Supply-chain Enhancement (RISE). We are cooperating to deter and address economic coercion, through our bilateral cooperation as well as through our work with like-minded partners including the G7 Coordination Platform on Economic Coercion. We are working to uphold a free, fair and rules-based economic order; address non-market policies and practices; build trusted, resilient, and sustainable supply chains; and promote open markets and fair competition under the U.S.-Japan economic “2+2” and the U.S.-Japan Commercial and Industrial Partnership. We will advance our commitment to operationalize data free flow with trust, including with respect to data security. We will also discuss the promotion of resilient and responsible seafood supply chains.

The United States and Japan recognize that the climate crisis is the existential challenge of our time and intend to be leaders in the global response. Towards our shared goal of accelerating the clean energy transition, we are launching a new high-level dialogue on how we implement our respective domestic measures and maximize their synergies and impacts, including the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act and Japan’s Green Transformation (GX) Promotion Strategy aimed at accelerating energy transition progress this decade, promoting complementary and innovative clean energy supply chains and improving industrial competitiveness. Today we announce Japan joins as the first international collaborator of the U.S. Floating Offshore Wind Shot. We intend to work together towards global ambition in line with the Wind Shot, taking into consideration national circumstances, through the Clean Energy and Energy Security Initiative (CEESI) to pursue innovative breakthroughs that drive down technology costs, accelerate decarbonization, and deliver benefits for coastal communities. The United States welcomes Japan’s newly-launched industry platform, the Floating Offshore Wind Technology Research Association (FLOWRA), aiming to reduce costs and achieve mass production of floating offshore wind through collaboration with academia.

We are further leading the way in developing and deploying next generation clean energy technology, including fusion energy development through the announcement of a U.S.-Japan Strategic Partnership to Accelerate Fusion Energy Demonstration and Commercialization.

The United States remains unwavering in its commitment to support the energy security of Japan and other allies, including its ability to predictably supply LNG while accelerating the global transition to zero-emissions energy and working with other fossil energy importers and producers to minimize methane emissions across the fossil energy value chain to the fullest extent practicable.

We intend to advance widespread adoption of innovative new clean energy technologies, and seek to increase the globally available supply of sustainable aviation fuel or feedstock, including those that are ethanol-based, that show promise in reducing emissions.

We are also working to align global health security and innovation, including in such areas as pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response and promoting more resilient, equitable, and sustainable health systems. Today, we announce that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Japan’s Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) intend to collaborate and exchange information on oncology drug products to help cancer patients receive earlier access to medications and to discuss future drug development and ways to prevent drug shortages. We welcome PMDA’s future representative office in Washington, D.C., to facilitate this cooperation.

Partnering on Global Diplomacy and Development

The challenges we face transcend geography. The United States and Japan are steadfast in our commitment to upholding international law, including the UN Charter, and call for all Member States to uphold the Charter’s purposes and principles, including refraining from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State. We remain committed to reforming the UN Security Council (UNSC), including through expansion in permanent and non-permanent categories of its membership. President Biden reiterated support for Japan’s permanent membership on a reformed UNSC.

We reaffirm our commitment made in Hiroshima last year and are determined to further promote our cooperation in the G7 and work together with partners beyond the G7.

We emphasize the importance of all parties promoting open channels of communication and practical measures to reduce the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculation and to prevent conflict in the Indo-Pacific. In particular, we underscore the importance of candid communication with the PRC, including at the leader level, and express the intent to work with the PRC where possible on areas of common interest.

We emphasize the importance of all States being able to exercise rights and freedoms in a manner consistent with international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), including freedom of navigation and overflight. We strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion, including destabilizing actions in the South China Sea, such as unsafe encounters at sea and in the air as well as the militarization of disputed features and the dangerous use of coast guard vessels and maritime militia. The PRC’s recent dangerous and escalatory behavior supporting its unlawful maritime claims in the South China Sea as well as efforts to disrupt other countries’ offshore resource exploitation are inconsistent with international law as reflected in UNCLOS. We also emphasize that the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award is final and legally binding on the parties to that proceeding. We resolve to work with partners, particularly in ASEAN, to support regional maritime security and uphold international law.

We emphasize that our basic positions on Taiwan remain unchanged and reiterate the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of global security and prosperity. We encourage the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues.

We continue working together with partner countries to make concrete progress in strengthening the international financial architecture and fostering investment under the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment. We are committed to delivering better, bigger, more effective multilateral development banks including through our planned contributions that would enable more than $30 billion in new World Bank lending and securing ambitious International Development Association and Asian Development Fund replenishments. We also emphasize the importance of private sector investment in the Indo-Pacific. We welcome the announcement of Google’s $1 billion investment in digital connectivity for North Pacific Connect, which expands the Pacific Connect Initiative, with NEC, to improve digital communications infrastructure between the United States, Japan and Pacific Island Nations. Building on the U.S.-Australia joint funding commitment for subsea cables last October, the United States and Japan plan to collaborate with like-minded partners to build trusted and more resilient networks and intend to contribute funds to provide subsea cables in the Pacific region, including $16 million towards cable systems for the Federated States of Micronesia and Tuvalu.

We reaffirm our steadfast commitment to the Quad and its shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific that is stable, prosperous, and inclusive which continues to deliver results for the region. We reiterate the Quad’s unwavering support and respect for regional institutions, including ASEAN, the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), and the Indian Ocean Rim Association. We also reaffirm our support for ASEAN centrality and unity as well as the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. Southeast Asian countries are critical partners in the Indo-Pacific and the U.S.-Japan-Philippines trilateral aims to enhance trilateral defense and security cooperation while promoting economic security and resilience. Japan and the United States reaffirmed our intention to work to support the region’s priorities as articulated through the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, including through the PIF as the Pacific’s preeminent institution as well as through the Partners in the Blue Pacific (PBP).

As we pursue our shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, we continue to build strong ties between key, like-minded partners in the region. Building on the historic success of the Camp David Trilateral Summit, the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea continue to collaborate on promoting regional security, strengthening deterrence, coordinating development and humanitarian assistance, countering North Korea’s illicit cyber activities, and deepening our cooperation including on economic, clean energy, and technological issues. The United States and Japan also remain committed to advancing trilateral cooperation with Australia to ensure a peaceful and stable region.

We reaffirm our commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea in accordance with relevant UNSC resolutions. We strongly condemn North Korea’s continued development of its ballistic missile program—including through launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) and space launch vehicles using ballistic missile technologies—which poses a grave threat to peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and beyond. We call on North Korea to respond to continued, genuine offers to return to diplomacy without preconditions. We call on all UN Member States to fully implement all relevant UNSC resolutions, especially in light of Russia’s recent veto. We urge North Korea to cease illicit activities that generate revenue for its unlawful ballistic missile and weapons of mass destruction programs, including malicious cyber activities. President Biden also reaffirms U.S. commitment to the immediate resolution of the abductions issue, and the two sides commit to continuing joint efforts to promote respect for human rights in North Korea.

We continue to stand together in firm opposition to Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine, its strikes against Ukraine’s infrastructure and the terror of Russian occupation. We are committed to continuing to impose severe sanctions on Russia and provide unwavering support for Ukraine. Together, we reiterate our call on Russia to immediately, completely, and unconditionally withdraw its forces from within the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine. Any threat or use of nuclear weapons in the context of its war of aggression against Ukraine by Russia is unacceptable. We also express serious concerns about growing North Korea-Russia military cooperation, which is supporting Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and threatens to undermine peace and stability in Northeast Asia as well as the global non-proliferation regime.

As the linkages between the Euro-Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific regions have become stronger than ever, our two countries look forward to continuing to work together to enhance Japan-North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and NATO-Indo-Pacific Four partnerships.

We once again unequivocally condemn the terror attacks by Hamas and others on October 7 of last year, and reaffirm Israel’s right to defend itself and its people consistent with international law. At the same time, we express our deep concern over the critical humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. We affirm the imperative of securing the release of all hostages held by Hamas, and emphasize that the deal to release hostages would bring an immediate and prolonged ceasefire in Gaza. We affirm the imperative of realizing an immediate and sustained ceasefire in Gaza over a period of at least six weeks as part of a deal that would release hostages held by Hamas and allow for delivery of essential additional humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in need. We underscore the urgent need to significantly increase deliveries of life-saving humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza and the crucial need to prevent regional escalation. We reiterate the importance of complying with international law, including international humanitarian law, as applicable, including with regard to the protection of civilians. We remain committed to an independent Palestinian state with Israel’s security guaranteed as part of a two-state solution that enables both Israelis and Palestinians to live in a just, lasting, and secure peace.

We reaffirm the importance of supporting inclusive growth and sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean. We continue to enhance policy coordination in the region, in particular on Haiti and Venezuela. We also recognize that promoting the stability and security for Haiti is one of the most pressing challenges in the Western Hemisphere, and we continue to support Haiti in restoring democratic order.

We also support African aspirations for peace, stability, and prosperity based on the rule of law. We continue to work together to support the democratic process and economic growth through our respective efforts, including our cooperation with African countries, Regional Economic Communities, the African Union, and multilateral organizations.

The United States and Japan are resolved to achieve a world without nuclear weapons through realistic and pragmatic approaches. It is critical that the overall decline in global nuclear arsenals achieved since the end of the Cold War continues and not be reversed, and the PRC’s accelerating build-up of its nuclear arsenal without transparency nor meaningful dialogue poses a concern to global and regional stability. We reaffirm the importance of upholding the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as the cornerstone of the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime and for the pursuit of peaceful uses of nuclear energy. In promoting this universal goal of achieving a world without nuclear weapons, Japan’s “Hiroshima Action Plan” and the “G7 Leaders’ Hiroshima Vision on Nuclear Disarmament” are welcome contributions. The two leaders also welcomed the U.S. announcement to join the Japan-led “Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty Friends” initiative. We reaffirm the indispensable role of the peaceful uses of nuclear technology, committing to fostering innovation and supporting the International Atomic Energy Agency’s efforts in upholding the highest standards of safety, security, and safeguards. President Biden commended Japan’s safe, responsible, and science-based discharge of Advanced Liquid Processing System treated water at Tokyo Electric Power Company’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station into the sea. Our two countries plan to launch the Fukushima Daiichi Decommissioning Partnership focusing on research cooperation for fuel debris retrieval.

To effectively address the myriad challenges outlined above, our global partnership is launching a Deputy Secretary of State/Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs-level dialogue involving our respective aid agencies to align our diplomatic and development efforts globally.

Fortifying People-to-People Ties

People-to-people exchanges are the most effective way to develop the future stewards of the U.S.-Japan relationship. In this regard, we recognize the achievements of exchange programs between our two countries, including the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme, KAKEHASHI Project, the Japan Foundation’s programs, and the U.S.-Japan Council’s TOMODACHI Initiative, and commit ourselves to providing more opportunities to meet today’s needs, including through enhanced subnational exchanges on critical issues such as climate and energy. We also recognize the important role civil society has played in strengthening the U.S.-Japan relationship over the past 170 years, including the 38 Japan-America Societies across the United States, the Asia Society, and the 29 America-Japan Societies across Japan.

Building on the Memorandum of Cooperation in Education signed between us on the sidelines of the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Hiroshima, today we announce our commitment to increase student mobility through the new $12 million “Mineta Ambassadors Program (MAP)” education exchange endowment administered by the U.S.-Japan Council for U.S. and Japanese high school and university students who will “map” the future of the relationship with support from Apple, the BlackRock Foundation, Toshizo Watanabe Foundation, and other founding donors. In this regard, we also welcome Japan’s new initiative to expand scholarship for Japanese students through the Japan Student Servicers Organization.

We recognize the significant contributions made by the binational Japan-U.S. Educational Commission (Fulbright Japan) over the past 72 years. We welcome recent changes to upgrade the program by reopening scholarships to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields for the first time in 50 years, with the first STEM students on track to participate in academic year 2025-26, as well as removing the tuition cap for Japanese Fulbright participants to attract the highest quality students and researchers.

Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Mansfield Fellowship Program, we honor the legacy of Ambassador Mansfield’s contributions through the University of Montana Mansfield Center and Mansfield Foundation. The two leaders also welcome the creation of the Government of Japan endowed Mansfield Professor of Japanese and Indo-Pacific Affairs at the University of Montana.

Upon the 100 th anniversary of the birth of the late Senator Daniel K. Inouye, who made incredible contributions to our bilateral relationship, we praise the efforts of Japanese American leaders to build a bridge between the two countries and to address common community issues, including through support to the U.S.-Japan Council’s newly launched TOMODACHI Kibou for Maui project. We also share the recognition on the importance of exchanges between our legislatures. We acknowledge the importance of language study, particularly in person, to develop long-term ties and announce a new Memorandum of Cooperation to increase opportunities for the number of exchange visitors from Japan to share their specialized knowledge of Japanese language and culture in the United States, as well as welcome efforts to expand the Japanese Language Education Assistant Program (J-LEAP).

The two leaders also affirm that women in leadership remain their focus and reaffirm our pledge to achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in all their diversity. We welcome close cooperation on Women, Peace, and Security and Women’s Economic Empowerment initiatives and efforts to promote women and girls’ full, equal, and meaningful participation and leadership in public life.

Finally, we emphasize the need to build a diverse pipeline of future U.S.-Japan experts who understand and support the Alliance. Our peoples form the core of our Alliance, and we reaffirm our commitment to forge ever-closer bonds for generations to come.

Through our shared and steadfast commitment, we have taken bold and courageous steps to bring the U.S.-Japan Alliance to unprecedented heights. In so doing, we have equipped our partnership to protect and advance peace, security, prosperity, and the rule of law across the Indo-Pacific and the globe so that everyone benefits. Today, we celebrate the enduring friendship among our peoples—and among ourselves—and pledge to continue our relentless efforts to ensure that our global partnership drives future peace and prosperity for generations to come.

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Analysis of the US-Japan Trade Agreement

On October 7, 2019, the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) published the official text of the US-Japan Trade Agreement (USJTA), which will reduce or eliminate tariffs on bilateral trade in certain agricultural and industrial products. The USJTA consists of the following elements: (1) a core text setting out the scope and operation of the Agreement and the Parties' core commitment to improve market access; (2) Annexes detailing the specific market access commitments to be undertaken by each Party and the rules of origin applicable to goods covered by the Agreement; and (3) six side letters containing additional commitments by the Parties with respect to alcoholic beverages, beef, rice, safeguards, skimmed milk powder, and whey. The text of the USJTA confirms that, as expected, the Agreement covers a relatively small share of bilateral trade between the United States and Japan (i.e., approximately 5% of total US goods imports from Japan, and less than 18% of Japan's total goods imports from the United States). Nevertheless, the Agreement will have important implications for certain industries, and perhaps for future trade negotiations between the United States and Japan. The attached report provides an overview of the Agreement, its implications, and the procedures that each side must complete before the Agreement may enter into force.

Please view the full report here.

This publication is provided for your convenience and does not constitute legal advice. This publication is protected by copyright. © 2019 White & Case LLP

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U.S. and Japan Case Studies: Aging In Place 2020

Report Acceptance Date: October 2020 (31 pages)

Posted Date: October 23, 2020

Since February 2017, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Policy Development and Research and the Japan Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s (MLIT) Policy Research Institute, along with the Housing Bureau and Urban Renaissance Agency of Japan (UR), have held numerous joint research meetings focused on Aging in Place (AIP). In June 2017, Secretary Ben Carson of HUD; Minister Keiichi Ishii of MLIT; Maren Kasper, Executive Vice President of Ginnie Mae; and Masahiro Nakajima, President of UR, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC). The MOC focuses on AIP among elderly citizens in both countries. The aging of the population presents both countries with a significant demographic shift and AIP housing challenges. In the U.S., Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities and Villages are models of actively providing supportive services for the elderly with organized networks of volunteer, corporate, and governmental stakeholders. In Japan, mixed communities with a focus on promoting multi-generational resident communities are models of efficient service delivery to the elderly. As such, the MOC’s initial focus on AIP and related housing and urban planning policies is an area of joint research that will benefit both countries.

The below link will take you to the Japanese language version of the reports, provided by MLIT. https://www.mlit.go.jp/pri/shiryou/aip_kobetsu/interimreport.html

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Global Business Case Study | Authors :: Debora L. Spar

Case study description.

Documents the American retailer's process of entry into the Japanese toy market. Discusses the history of Toys "R" Us in the United States as well as the history of the Japanese toy market, distribution, wholesaling, and retailing systems. Eager to enter the world's second largest toy market, Toys "R" Us executives begin in the late 1980s to formulate strategies for opening large discount toy stores in Japan. The American company faces a series of setbacks due to Japanese store-size regulation, application procedures, and a long-standing multilayered distribution system. Continued effort and the acceptance of a Japanese partner enable the company to prepare for the opening of a Toys "R" Us outlet in 1991. Faced with a lack of direct distribution deals and high land and labor costs, executives of Toys "R" Us Japan worry about the ultimate success of their new venture.

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Even before you start reading a business case study just make sure that you have brushed up the Harvard Business Review (HBR) fundamentals on the Global Business. Brushing up HBR fundamentals will provide a strong base for investigative reading. Often readers scan through the business case study without having a clear map in mind. This leads to unstructured learning process resulting in missed details and at worse wrong conclusions. Reading up the HBR fundamentals helps in sketching out business case study analysis and solution roadmap even before you start reading the case study. It also provides starting ideas as fundamentals often provide insight into some of the aspects that may not be covered in the business case study itself.

Step 2 - Reading the Toys "R" Us Japan HBR Case Study

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• Marking out the protagonist and key players in the case study from the very start.
• Drawing a motivation chart of the key players and their priorities from the case study description.
• Refine the central problem the protagonist is facing in the case and how it relates to the HBR fundamentals on the topic.
• Evaluate each detail in the case study in light of the HBR case study analysis core ideas.

Step 3 - Toys "R" Us Japan Case Study Analysis

Once you are comfortable with the details and objective of the business case study proceed forward to put some details into the analysis template. You can do business case study analysis by following Fern Fort University step by step instructions -

• Company history is provided in the first half of the case. You can use this history to draw a growth path and illustrate vision, mission and strategic objectives of the organization. Often history is provided in the case not only to provide a background to the problem but also provide the scope of the solution that you can write for the case study.
• HBR case studies provide anecdotal instances from managers and employees in the organization to give a feel of real situation on the ground. Use these instances and opinions to mark out the organization's culture, its people priorities & inhibitions.
• Make a time line of the events and issues in the case study. Time line can provide the clue for the next step in organization's journey. Time line also provides an insight into the progressive challenges the company is facing in the case study.

Step 4 - SWOT Analysis of Toys "R" Us Japan

Once you finished the case analysis, time line of the events and other critical details. Focus on the following -

• Zero down on the central problem and two to five related problems in the case study.
• Do the SWOT analysis of the Toys "R" Us Japan . SWOT analysis is a strategic tool to map out the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats that a firm is facing.
• SWOT analysis and SWOT Matrix will help you to clearly mark out - Strengths Weakness Opportunities & Threats that the organization or manager is facing in the Toys "R" Us Japan
• SWOT analysis will also provide a priority list of problem to be solved.
• You can also do a weighted SWOT analysis of Toys "R" Us Japan HBR case study.

Step 5 - Porter 5 Forces / Strategic Analysis of Industry Analysis Toys "R" Us Japan

In our live classes we often come across business managers who pinpoint one problem in the case and build a case study analysis and solution around that singular point. Business environments are often complex and require holistic solutions. You should try to understand not only the organization but also the industry which the business operates in. Porter Five Forces is a strategic analysis tool that will help you in understanding the relative powers of the key players in the business case study and what sort of pragmatic and actionable case study solution is viable in the light of given facts.

Step 6 - PESTEL, PEST / STEP Analysis of Toys "R" Us Japan

Another way of understanding the external environment of the firm in Toys "R" Us Japan is to do a PESTEL - Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental & Legal analysis of the environment the firm operates in. You should make a list of factors that have significant impact on the organization and factors that drive growth in the industry. You can even identify the source of firm's competitive advantage based on PESTEL analysis and Organization's Core Competencies.

Step 7 - Organizing & Prioritizing the Analysis into Toys "R" Us Japan Case Study Solution

Once you have developed multipronged approach and work out various suggestions based on the strategic tools. The next step is organizing the solution based on the requirement of the case. You can use the following strategy to organize the findings and suggestions.

• Build a corporate level strategy - organizing your findings and recommendations in a way to answer the larger strategic objective of the firm. It include using the analysis to answer the company's vision, mission and key objectives , and how your suggestions will take the company to next level in achieving those goals.
• Business Unit Level Solution - The case study may put you in a position of a marketing manager of a small brand. So instead of providing recommendations for overall company you need to specify the marketing objectives of that particular brand. You have to recommend business unit level recommendations. The scope of the recommendations will be limited to the particular unit but you have to take care of the fact that your recommendations are don't directly contradict the company's overall strategy. For example you can recommend a low cost strategy but the company core competency is design differentiation.
• Case study solutions can also provide recommendation for the business manager or leader described in the business case study.

Step 8 -Implementation Framework

The goal of the business case study is not only to identify problems and recommend solutions but also to provide a framework to implement those case study solutions. Implementation framework differentiates good case study solutions from great case study solutions. If you able to provide a detailed implementation framework then you have successfully achieved the following objectives -

• Detailed understanding of the case,
• Clarity of HBR case study fundamentals,
• Analyzed case details based on those fundamentals and
• Developed an ability to prioritize recommendations based on probability of their successful implementation.

Implementation framework helps in weeding out non actionable recommendations, resulting in awesome Toys "R" Us Japan case study solution.

Step 9 - Take a Break

Once you finished the case study implementation framework. Take a small break, grab a cup of coffee or whatever you like, go for a walk or just shoot some hoops.

Step 10 - Critically Examine Toys "R" Us Japan case study solution

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Japan’s diplomatic charm offensive in US aims to keep Washington in committed relationship

Professor of Political Science, Drake University

Disclosure statement

Mary M. McCarthy is a Mansfield Foundation US-Japan Network for the Future Scholar. She was previously an East-West Center in Washington Japan Studies Fellow (2014) and a Pacific Forum CSIS Young Leader (2006, 2005).

Drake University provides funding as a member of The Conversation US.

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April 2024 proved to be a busy month in Japanese-U.S. diplomacy.

The month saw a state visit to the U.S. by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida that included a White House sit-down with President Joe Biden on April 10. The next day, both men were joined by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for the first-ever U.S.-Japan-Philippines trilateral summit .

Then on April 23, a former prime minister and leading figure in Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Taro Aso, met with Donald Trump in New York.

As an expert on U.S.-East Asian foreign relations , I believe the flurry of diplomatic activity points at two things: a keen desire on Japan’s part to ramp up engagement with Washington as part of an Indo-Pacific strategy, and very real concerns in Tokyo that the U.S. might not be so committed – regardless of who’s leading the country after this year’s election.

Allies and co-stewards

The Japanese government under Kishida – who was elected prime minister in 2021 – has made clear it is all in on the alliance with the U.S.

Kishida hopes to assert Japan’s role as not just the U.S.’s strongest ally in East Asia, but also as co-steward of the “ liberal international order ” – that is, the global rules and agreements set up after World War II by leading economies.

Kishida’s intentions were made clear in Japan’s 2022 National Security Strategy , which detailed Japan’s short- and medium-term strategic goals. While it included a commitment to unprecedented defense spending and the development of new defense capabilities, it did so in the context of an emphasis on the country’s relationship with the U.S. as “ the cornerstone of Japan’s national security policy .”

Japan’s strategy also calls for the bilateral relationship with the U.S. to go beyond traditional security concerns, extending to the provision of economic security through efforts to bolster the resilience of global supply chains and enhance economic engagement between allies.

Investing in alliances

In large part, Japan’s desire to strengthen its partnership with the U.S. has been reciprocated by Washington.

Closer ties are in keeping with the Biden administration’s plan to invest in alliances as a core feature of its foreign policy. The Biden White House has been particularly focused on greater security cooperation across the Indo-Pacific region .

To that end, Biden and Kishida showcased a U.S.-Japan joint command center and a new Japan-U.S.-Australia air missile defense network during their April meeting . Similarly, the trilateral meeting with the Philippines saw the unveiling of enhanced U.S. Coast Guard training for its Asian partners, and joint patrols in the South China Sea.

While the implicit, if not explicit, target of such collaborative efforts is often the perceived threat of China to regional stability, the strategy has wider geopolitical implications.

In forging alliances between like-minded countries, the U.S. and Japan are promoting a global system based on the existing liberal international order, but which emphasizes the different visions held by democracies and nondemocracies. In other words, they are attempting to create security through distinction – or an “us versus them” strategy – rather than universalism.

It is toward this goal that the U.S. has actively encouraged better relations between Japan and South Korea – two democratic U.S. allies that have been deeply divided over how to reconcile after Japan’s colonization of the Korean Peninsula in the early 20th century.

What a Trump win might mean to Tokyo

Yet despite the U.S. and Japan being in lockstep on many issues affecting the Indo-Pacific region, the recent diplomatic blitz in Washington – as well as the lead-up to the visits – also sheds light on areas of difference and of concern for Japan.

While Kishida has emphasized the U.S.-Japan economic relationship as a win-win scenario, the Biden administration has been keener to focus on security measures.

Indeed, on trade and economic issues, Washington isn’t quite on the same page as its Asian partners.

For example, Biden has come out against the proposed purchase of U.S. Steel by Japan’s Nippon Steel. Biden’s reticence echoes a prevailing belief in economic nationalism in Washington, steeped in domestic politics.

But Tokyo’s concerns go beyond the hesitancy of the current U.S. administration in regard to Japanese investment.

A potential second Trump presidency may, it is feared in Tokyo , upend the work that the Biden administration has done to reinvigorate the alliance system in the Indo-Pacific.

It could also see the U.S. retreat further into economic nationalism. Under Trump, the U.S. saw tariffs as a major foreign policy tool , while portraying alliances as transactional. For example, Trump demanded that Japan quadruple the annual payments it made for U.S. troops to be stationed there.

Also under the Trump administration, and to Japan’s chagrin, the U.S. left the Trans-Pacific Partnership multilateral trade deal , which continued without the U.S. in the form of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Japan on PR offensive

Japan is beginning to hedge against a Biden loss in November and lay the foundations for what many in Tokyo hope will be a positive relationship with Trump, should he become president again.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated in 2022, forged such a relationship with Trump. And it was notable that it was Abe’s former deputy prime minister, Aso, who met with Trump in New York to reestablish a personal connection now – although Kishida’s government described Aso’s visit as that of an individual lawmaker acting in his own capacity.

Still, Kishida knows that it is not just a Trump presidency that could threaten Japan’s interests and goals for the Pacific region. American political elites in general are trending more toward isolationism . Meanwhile, the American public is increasingly divided and unsure about the benefits of trade and the role that the U.S. should be playing globally.

In his U.S. visit, Kishida sought to speak not only to the Biden administration, but to Congress – both Democrats and Republicans – as well as the U.S. business community and the American public.

It was not only a leadership summit, but a public relations tour.

During his remarks to Congress – only the second by a Japanese prime minister – Kishida stressed the need for the U.S. to be a reliable ally, saying “the world needs the United States” and “the people of Japan are with you, side by side, to assure the survival of liberty.”

And he reiterated the ties between the two countries – while highlighting the positive economic contribution Japan is making in the U.S. – in a subsequent visit to North Carolina, where he toured a Toyota electric vehicle battery factory and a HondaJet subsidiary.

Looking for a stable relationship

Japan is embracing its identity as an actively contributing member of the liberal international order. With the U.S. exit from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and uncertainties over Washington’s global role during the Trump administration, Japan stepped up as a leading proponent of maintaining and perpetuating that order.

But Japan is looking for the U.S. to continue to play a central role, too.

The high-profile meetings between Japan’s political elite and both Biden and Trump indicate that Tokyo is looking for the U.S. to be a reliable partner – both for the sake of regional security and for economic prosperity. But this is something that U.S. domestic politics is making it more difficult to achieve.

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Toys “R” Us Company: Strategies in Japan Case Study

The story of Toys “R” Us, one of the largest toys company in the world, began over 50 years ago. Its founder Charles Lazarus came back from the army and began to sell bicycles in the shop of his father. At that time, the US had a baby boom, and customers were always asking whether it is possible to purchase a bicycle with a toy. Lazarus quickly realized the situation. After a couple of years, he has opened an office in Washington, and in another ten years, the number of stores has exceeded one hundred. An important strategic decision was the refusal of the substantial profits in favor of the market share. Lazarus thought about and developed the number of stores in the country rather than about earnings. This was the reason for global expansion.

The Toys “R” Us, Inc. was founded in Japan in 1989 with headquarters in Kanagawa. Since that time, the company developed promptly, resulting in 100 stores by the end of 2000 (Aggarwal 267). Adopting the model accepted in the US and Canada, the company established the first Side-by-Side store joining Toys “R” Us with Babies “R” Us.

In the beginning, the Japanese market has an extremely different strategy that the US one since the Large-Scale Retail Store Law of Japan protected smaller businesses. For example, political issue stated that “for any store larger than 5,382 square feet owners had to obtain government approval to construct the building” (Dlabay and Scott 457). Besides, the fact that Japanese trade representatives were accustomed to co-operating only with retailers and wholesalers complicated the situation, particularly the “challenge against Akachan Honpo, an Osaka baby products wholesaler” (Melville 138).

The differences also exist in selling toys: “if toys connected with a child’s TV program, its life cycle usually three months” (Kaynak, Lee, and Dawson 38). According to Aggarwal, “competitive weapons such as door-to-door sales and boutique presences are much more prevalent in Japan” (272). The company had to overcome these barriers.

However, the Toys “R” Us could not perform their business the same way as the US as the Japanese market differs from the US one. In terms of a cultural and economic environment that is different in every country, it was not easy to satisfy the Japanese customer demand. It goes without saying that the entry of Toys “R” Us into the Japanese market has certain difficulties, but its benefits met expectations resulting in the 2nd biggest toy market worldwide. Toys “R” Us handle these differences proceeding to open new store formats. For instance, seasonal Toys “R” Us Express locations were popular among customers in Japan.

Moreover, the company integrated its local toys such as Bandai, Aprica, Combi, and Tomy with those of globally known, including Fisher-Price, Graco, and LEGO. Besides, in 2012, the company introduced a new online store where everyone can purchase no matter where or when he or she decides to shop. Toys “R” Us Japan used several marketing strategies to gain its aim of expansion, particularly the use of research data of its customers and play with the prices to continue to bring considerable results. Overall, it was the initiative Lazarus’ business model of a rapid expansion of the trading network offering a huge range of products with minimal wrapping that made Toys “R” Us stores dominant on the toy market in Japan. Losses of the expansion stage quickly became multi-billion dollar profits after the conquest of the many millions of loyal regular customers.

The Toys “R” Us has earned a Japanese reputation for the quality and safety of products. All their products meet international quality standards and have a perfectly balanced relation of price, features, and quality. While parents are busy buying toys, the children can play in peculiar places. For this purpose, there is a special playground, almost in every store. For customers’ convenience, stores classified toys by brand and by the age of children. Stores please customers with surprisingly original toys: a plush octopus, a rocket on wheels, a bicycle with a roof from rain, and plenty of other creative ideas.

One more peculiarity of Toys “R” Us appealing to the Japanese customer is that it supports the national manufacturer offering products that are common only in Japan, among which Agatsuma or PeopleandPilot Inc. The assortment of toys is diverse and continuously updates according to the latest requirements of life, including movies, cartoons, and events. “The Toys “R” Us Japan has gone from strength to strength with stores trading profitably around the archipelago expanding to 250 stores by 2010″ (Gilson et al. 125). Nowadays, there are “167 stores in Japan – 94 Toys “R” Us, 19 Babies “R” Us, 57 side-by-side stores, and approximately 7,000 employees all over the country working for Toys “R” Us” (Betros par.2).

In conclusion, it should be stressed that the Toys “R” Us company is an example of the success of a foreign retailer in a host country. It was not an easy process, but the management of the company did its best in order to handle challenges and to satisfy the customer applying several marketing strategies in Japan.

Works Cited

Aggarwal, Raj. Restructuring Japanese Business for Growth: Strategy, Finance, Management, and Marketing Perspective , New York: Springer-Science, 2012. Print.

Betros, Chris. “Toys“R”Us Japan.” Japan Today . 2011. Print.

Dlabay, Les R., and James Scott. International Business . 4th ed. Mason, Oh.: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.

Gilson, Julie, Glenn D. Hook, Hugo Dobson, and Christopher W. Hugho. Japan’s International Relations: Politics, Economics and Security . 2nd ed. New York: Routledge, 2013. Print.

Kaynak, Erdener, Jung-Hee Lee, and John Dawson. International Retailing Plans and Strategies in Asia , New York: Routledge, 2012. Print.

Melville, Ian. Marketing in Japan , Oxford, England: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2012. Print.

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IvyPanda. (2020, July 2). Toys “R” Us Company: Strategies in Japan. https://ivypanda.com/essays/toys-r-us-company-strategies-in-japan/

"Toys “R” Us Company: Strategies in Japan." IvyPanda , 2 July 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/toys-r-us-company-strategies-in-japan/.

IvyPanda . (2020) 'Toys “R” Us Company: Strategies in Japan'. 2 July.

IvyPanda . 2020. "Toys “R” Us Company: Strategies in Japan." July 2, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/toys-r-us-company-strategies-in-japan/.

1. IvyPanda . "Toys “R” Us Company: Strategies in Japan." July 2, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/toys-r-us-company-strategies-in-japan/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Toys “R” Us Company: Strategies in Japan." July 2, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/toys-r-us-company-strategies-in-japan/.

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This case study provides a snapshot of the educational responses and effects of COVID-19 in Japan and is part of a comprehensive assessment of the effects of and responses to COVID-19 on the Education Sector in Asia.

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Analysis-The Glitch in Japan's Plans to Bolster U.S. Defence

Analysis-The Glitch in Japan's Plans to Bolster U.S. Defence

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hold a joint press conference in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 10, 2024. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo

By Kaori Kaneko, Tim Kelly and John Geddie

TOKYO (Reuters) - As the United States faces security threats across the globe, its close ally Japan has committed to stepping up as a trusted defence partner - but Tokyo's cyber and information security vulnerabilities remain a concern, officials and experts say.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who is overseeing a once-unthinkable military build-up, told the U.S. Congress this month that Tokyo was committed to helping its partner counter challenges ranging from Russia's war in Ukraine to an increasingly assertive China.

That came as the allies announced new areas of military cooperation, including tapping Japan's industrial capacity to bolster defence production and possibly developing new technologies with AUKUS security partners Australia and Britain.

But Tokyo has suffered high-profile hacks in recent years that have shut down its biggest port, breached servers at its leading defence contractor, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and even infiltrated the government's own cybersecurity centre. Although Japan is not alone in being targeted by such attacks, they have elevated long-held concerns over whether Tokyo can fully support its security partners.

"It's really been an Achilles heel for Japan and the U.S," said Mark Manantan, director of cybersecurity and critical technologies at the Pacific Forum think tank in Hawaii.

Japan faces an uphill battle in creating the systems and finding the people it needs to plug these vulnerabilities, officials and experts say.

Dennis Blair, the former U.S. director of national intelligence, travelled to Tokyo in 2022 to address lawmakers and journalists, telling them Japan's weak cyber defences were the biggest liability in the countries' security alliance.

Later that year, Japan announced plans to recruit more personnel for its cyber capabilities. But the pace of recruitment seems set to slow, according to the latest defence ministry figures, amid fierce competition for such workers and high private-sector salaries.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson said Japan's "ability to adequately protect sensitive data and information" would be considered when identifying collaboration opportunities.

Asked whether Washington had raised such concerns with Tokyo, Japan's defence and foreign ministries said they had been communicating closely on the matter but declined to elaborate on the discussions.

RECRUITMENT PROBLEMS

In 2022, Kishida unveiled a historic plan to double defence spending over five years, including moves to quadruple its core cyber defence force to about 4,000 people, backed up by 16,000 support staff.

Kazuhisa Shimada, a former vice defence minister and one of the key architects of that plan, told Reuters the recruitment target would be tough to hit within that time frame.

"When we came up with the number, our cybersecurity officials were cautious," he said. "Japan as a whole lacks cybersecurity human resources."

The defence ministry said in April it had recruited 2,230 core members so far and expects to add another 180 by March 2025, but was still aiming to hit its target. It did not say how many support staff were in place.

Defence Minister Minoru Kihara has proposed easing physical fitness requirements and offering salaries up to 23 million yen ($149,108), the same as a top bureaucrat, for cyber recruits.

But that is only half of what a senior industry expert can earn, according to Itsuro Nishimoto, chief executive of Japanese cybersecurity firm LAC Co., and unlike private firms the government must hire only Japanese nationals.

Japan also said in 2022 it wants to pre-emptively hunt down and neutralise potential cyber threats, many of which originate beyond its borders, a tactic commonly used by its allies.

But the government has yet to submit the legal amendments to parliament that would allow such strikes - controversial given the country's pacifist constitutional constraints.

Akihisa Nagashima, a ruling party lawmaker and former deputy defence minister, said those amendments may not reach parliament until next year, which was disappointing given "Japan is getting cyber attacks on a daily basis".

Japan's National Police Agency said the daily average number of cases of suspicious internet access, a broad measure that includes cyberattacks, hit a record of 9,144 last year, up from a previous record of 7,708 in 2022.

SLOW PROGRESS

Expectations that Japan can step up international collaboration on defence projects have been bolstered by Tokyo recently relaxing rules on defence exports.

The country can now ship Patriot air defence missiles it builds under licence back to the United States, for example, and will let Britain and Italy export an advanced jet fighter they are developing together.

Although it would be a leap for Japan to supply arms to a country at war, the rule changes have opened the door for overseas arms manufacturers to tap industrial capacity that was once off limits.

Even that may be tangled in bureaucracy, however. Because Japan does not have a system for companies to handle classified information comparable to those of the U.S. and its other allies, projects such as the fighter jet are done under burdensome bespoke frameworks, said Jeffrey Hornung, an expert in Japanese security policy at the Rand Corporation.

Legislation proposed in February is meant to remedy this, but it could take up to five years for a new vetting system to become operative, said Jun Osawa, a senior research fellow at Nakasone Peace Institute in Tokyo.

"Japanese companies don't have a culture of handling information that requires clearance, which takes more time," Osawa said.

All the hurdles add up, officials say, even as Japan produces more weapons and regears its defence industry.

Former Pentagon official Bill Greenwalt dismissed as "political theatre" the idea that Japan could be plugged into Western security projects such as AUKUS.

"There is no chance to do so with Japan, whose security apparatus is still in a peacetime mode and immature," he said.

(Reporting by Kaori Kaneko, Tim Kelly and John Geddie in Tokyo; additional reporting by David Brunstromm in Washington; Editing by Gerry Doyle)

Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters .

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Online Readings in Psychology and Culture

Home > ORPC > Vol. 6 (2011) > Iss. 1

Case studies: US-Japan comparison of attachment transmission

Kazuko Y. Behrens , SUNY Polytechnic Institute Follow Karen Jones-Mason , University of California, San Francisco Follow

Publication Date

Today, attachment research has become increasingly more quantitative and complex, utilizing extremely sophisticated statistical analyses often based on enormous synthesized datasets across the globe (Verhage et al., 2016). This marks a significant advancement in the attachment field in particular and developmental fields in general. However, this phenomenon arguably restricts the ability to visualize interactions of each parent-child dyad, on which the relationship quality is assessed. Notably, the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) and the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) are the most validated, widely-used attachment measures world-wide, known to predict attachment transmission. This paper demonstrates the qualitative presentation of attachment transmission data, comparing samples from the US and Japan. We present case studies for each main attachment category through AAI excerpts, SSP behavioral summaries, and the expected transmission process. We also compare case studies cross-culturally to confirm the universality of attachment phenomena as well as to explore any cultural differences that may affect attachment expressions.

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The Life Story of an American Learner of Japanese on a Remote Island in Japan: A Cross-cultural Adaptation Perspective

Since the 2000s, there has been a growing interest in qualitative research in the field of Japanese language education, including life story research (e.g., Miyo, 2015). One of the purposes of life story research in Japanese language education is to pay attention to, listen to, and describe the voices of people to whom Japanese language education has so far paid little attention (Miyo, 2014, 2015a). Many studies have listened to the voices of Japanese language learners living in Japan and described their experiences (e.g., Miyo, 2009; Sato, 2015; Maruyama & Ozawa, 2018). However, many studies have not paid particular attention to the region where the learners are staying. One gets the impression that the place could be anywhere as long as the learners are in Japan. Further, cross-cultural adaptation research often focuses on international cross-cultural contact. However, in recent years, it has been pointed out that cross-cultural contact also involves regional differences within a single country (Gui et al., 2012; Berry, 2016). In other words, foreigners staying in a host country experience not only intercultural contact between their own country and the host country but also intercultural contact arising from regional differences within the host country, making the adaptation process complex.

This narrative case study focused on one American learner of Japanese, Kevin (pseudonym), and his experience on Futaba Island (pseudonym) and analyzed his process of cross-cultural adaptation. Data was collected from his diary and semi-structured interviews with him over six months. The collected data were then graphically represented using the method of Trajectory Equifinality Modeling (TEM) (Sato et al., 2009; Sato et al., 2014). The data obtained in this study showed that Kevin’s back-and-forth between Futaba Island and the mainland impeded and facilitated his cross-cultural adaptation in different ways. Unlike people in large cities on the mainland, people on Futaba Island stare at Kevin and treat him as a special guest, which made him aware of cultural barriers, leading him to construct an identity as an outsider and feel, “I will never fully integrate into Japanese society.” Furthermore, when he traveled to the mainland, he experienced reverse culture shock by encountering many American tourists that he cannot see on Futaba Island. Seeing American tourists behaving incompatibly with Japanese cultural norms made Kevin realize that he was more integrated into Japanese society than he had thought. All of this suggests that when considering the cross-cultural adaptation of foreigners staying in Japan, it is essential to take a place-based perspective on where they are in Japan and where they have been during their stay. Furthermore, just because a person is staying in the host country does not mean that cross-cultural adaptation is influenced by factors that are exclusive to the host country. While staying in the host country, one’s cross-cultural adaptation may be influenced by people from or by events in their home country. It is necessary to take into account home country-related factors as well.

Degree Type

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Languages and Cultures

Campus location

• West Lafayette

Advisor/Supervisor/Committee Chair

Additional committee member 2, additional committee member 3, additional committee member 4, additional committee member 5, usage metrics.

• Japanese language

Reader Case Study: Stationed in Japan with the US Marine Corps, Hoping to FIRE

Their goal is to reach financial independence by that deadline, which is now five to eight years away. Kat would like our help determining if this is a reasonable goal and, if not, advice on what they should do to make it feasible.

What’s a Reader Case Study?

Case Studies address financial and life dilemmas that readers of Frugalwoods send in requesting advice. Then, we (that’d be me and YOU, dear reader) read through their situation and provide advice, encouragement, insight and feedback in the comments section.

For an example, check out  the last case study .  Case Studies are updated by participants (at the end of the post) several months after the Case is featured. Visit   this page   for links to all updated Case Studies.

Can I Be A Reader Case Study?

There are four options for folks interested in receiving a holistic Frugalwoods financial consultation:

• Apply to be an on-the-blog   Case Study subject here .
• Hire me for a   private financial consultation here .
• Schedule an  hourlong call with me here .

→Not sure  which option  is right for you? Schedule  a free 15-minute chat with me  to learn more. Refer a friend  to me here .

Please note that space is limited for all of the above and most especially for on-the-blog Case Studies. I do my best to accommodate everyone who applies, but there are a limited number of slots available each month.

The Goal Of Reader Case Studies

The Case Study series began in 2016 and, to date, there’ve been   102 Case Studies .  I’ve featured folks with annual incomes ranging from $17k to $200k+ and net worths ranging from -$300k to $2.9M+.

I’ve featured single, married, partnered, divorced, child-filled and child-free households. I’ve featured gay, straight, queer, bisexual and polyamorous people. I’ve featured women, non-binary folks and men. I’ve featured transgender and cisgender people. I’ve had cat people and dog people. I’ve featured folks from the US, Australia, Canada, England, South Africa, Spain, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany and France. I’ve featured people with PhDs and people with high school diplomas. I’ve featured people in their early 20’s and people in their late 60’s. I’ve featured folks who live on farms and folks who live in New York City.

Reader Case Study Guidelines

I probably don’t need to say the following because you all are the kindest, most polite commenters on the internet, but please note that Frugalwoods is a judgement-free zone where we endeavor to help one another, not condemn.

There’s no room for rudeness here.  The goal is to create a supportive environment where we all acknowledge we’re human, we’re flawed, but we choose to be here together, workshopping our money and our lives with positive, proactive suggestions and ideas.

And a disclaimer that I am not a trained financial professional and I encourage people not to make serious financial decisions based solely on what one person on the internet advises. 

I encourage everyone to do their own research to determine the best course of action for their finances. I am not a financial advisor and I am not your financial advisor.

With that I’ll let Kat, today’s Case Study subject, take it from here!

Kat’s Story

What feels most pressing right now? What brings you to submit a Case Study?

When I initially applied for a Reader Case Study, Jay had a one-hour commute to work on top of a long work day. He was waking up at 4am and getting home between 7 and 10 pm. We’ve since moved and he now has a 20 minute commute! So, that’s one major problem solved.

The other main issue is that I would like us to be financially independent by the time Jay gets out of the military in five to eight years. I want us to have options, rather than feeling like we need to jump into new careers the moment he leaves the military. As we near this self-imposed deadline, the goal is feeling more and more daunting.

We want to take advantage of our limited time in Japan – traveling, having cultural experiences, and spending time in nature. But this conflicts with our larger goal of wanting to be financially independent.

Post-Military Life Plans

Jay would need to serve for 20 years in order to get a pension. We’re instead hoping to fund our own retirement so he does not need to stay in that long. He loves what he does, but it is draining. After he leaves the military, we will need to purchase our own healthcare. Without a pension or disability discharge, Jay won’t be eligible for VA care. He is open to serving in the reserves, which would continue his healthcare.

We are not sure where we want to settle down. Ideally, we will travel full time for a few years after Jay gets out of the military. Some states we are considering for our home base are Oregon, Washington, Montana, Vermont (or another northeastern state), and Minnesota. We’d like a progressive community near hiking trails with housing that we can afford. We would love suggestions! Our families are pretty scattered now, so we likely won’t live near most of them.

What’s the best part of your current lifestyle/routine?

I am also enjoying my free time. I’ve primarily worked as a writer in the past. I most recently worked as a kitchen assistant at a friend’s restaurant, but resigned due to our recent move. So, I’m currently between jobs, as one might say. I’m using this time to take care of all of the domestic labor and life management tasks, learn the Japanese language, spend time in nature, and read. Now that we have internet at our new house, I will try to pick up some freelance work with a former employer, but I am not yet sure how it will work out with the time zone difference between the US and Japan.

What’s the worst part of your current lifestyle/routine?

Jay’s difficult job and long work hours. What little time we have together is mostly spent resting and preparing for the next week. We’re on opposite ends of the spectrum right now – he is overworked and tired, whereas I am in need of social time and a challenge.

Where Kat Wants to be in Ten Years:

• Finances: Financially independent, living comfortably off of our investments.
• Lifestyle: Traveling often with a home base in the states. Lots of quality time together.
• Career: Enjoyable part-time work, volunteer work, homesteading, and/or a creative hobby business that we run together.

Kat & Jay’s Finances

Credit card strategy, kat’s questions for you:.

• If not, what do we need to cut back on to achieve this goal?
• What type of paid work should I pursue next? Any suggestions for timezone-flexible remote work?
• How can Jay and I better connect during times when we’re on opposite ends of the work/life balance spectrum?

Liz Frugalwoods’ Recommendations

Kat and Jay bring us an interesting Case Study today and I’m excited to dig in and see what’s possible for these two! They’ve made excellent frugal choices over the years, as evidenced by their lack of debt and impressive net worth. Let’s get right to Kat’s questions!

Kat’s Question #1: Does it seem feasible for us to “retire” between the ages of 34-37 (in 5-8 years)? Or at least get out of the military at that age and both work part-time?

This question is predicated upon how much they intend to earn, spend and invest over the next 5-8 years. Let’s take a look at where things stand now and make some projections for their future.

Asset Overview

It’s rare that I don’t have recommendations for a Case Study subject to change something about their asset allocation, but Kat and Jay hit a home run here! I don’t think I have any edits to suggest! Here’s why:

Net worth: $392,517

Since they have no debt to service, all of their assets count towards their net worth. Nicely done, you two!

Investments: At Vanguard

It’s obvious Kat and Jay have done their research (and read a lot of Frugalwoods!) because their investment choices are almost exactly what I would do. They’ve selected a brokerage, Vanguard, with an excellent reputation for low-fee total market index funds. This is evident in how low the expense ratios are on all of their investments. Expense ratios are what you pay a brokerage to invest your money and, since they’re fees, you want them to be as low as possible.

They are invested aggressively in almost 100% stocks, which in my opinion makes a lot of sense since they’re young and have a number of years before they’ll be drawing down this money. In general, you want to invest aggressively when you’re young and then decrease your risk exposure as you near retirement age. The old adage in investing is high-risk=high-reward and low-risk=low reward.

Their selection of Vanguard’s VTSAX as their primary investment is also something I would do since it’s a total market index fund, which means they’re invested across the entire stock market. This reduces risk since they’re well-diversified across every sector of the market. It’s the opposite of stock-picking whereby you limit yourself to just one or two companies and really hope that they don’t tank. Investing in something like VTSAX is the epitome of not putting all of your eggs in one basket. A good plan!

Cash: In a high-yield savings account

Between their checking and savings, they have $44,880, which is WAY more than they’d need in an emergency fund. An emergency fund should be around three to six months’ worth of your spending. For Kat and Jay, this $44k is nearly what they spend in an entire year. The downsides of having so much cash are that: cash loses value (because it doesn’t keep up with inflation) and there’s an opportunity cost to not having it invested in the market. Having the majority of their cash in such a high-yield savings account mitigates those risks somewhat, but it’s still an underutilization of this money.

Technically, they should retain just six months’ worth of living expenses in cash and dump the rest into their taxable investment account.

However, given their level of investment sophistication, I have to imagine they have a reason for keeping this much in cash, but I did want to point it out. When they near the time for Jay to leave the military, they’ll want to have a good buffer of cash on hand, but since that’s at least five years away, I see no reason to sit on that much cash in the meantime. But, if they plan to buy a house in five years? This could make sense as their downpayment savings.

Let’s refer back to Kat and Jay’s ultimate ten-year goal:

Kat stated they want to be “Financially independent, living comfortably off of our investments.”

→What does that actually mean? 

• No longer need to work for money;
• Have enough invested to enable a safe rate of withdrawal to cover all of your living expenses;
• Have the ability to do this until you die.

The key to making this work is actually fairly straightforward:

• You have to earn a sufficient amount of money during your early working years;
• You have to save and invest the vast majority of this money;
• You have to keep your expenses low enough to enable you to do this.

A person who makes $1M per year but also spends $1M per year will not be able to reach financial independence. That person is living paycheck to enormous paycheck. They are completely reliant upon their job to fund their lifestyle. A lay-off would be a crisis for them because, despite having a ridiculously high income, if they don’t save any of it, they have nothing to fall back on.

On the other hand, a person who (like Jay & Kat) earns $78,048 per year but only spends $47,172 annually, will be able to invest the $30,876 difference each year. This is the amazingly simple math behind FIRE (financial independence, retire early).

You have two levers here: income and expenses.

You can increase income, you can decrease expenses, you can do both.

Over time, historical models indicate that the market returns a roughly 7% annual average. Of course past performance does not promise future success, but, it’s all we have to go on. That’s why I question Kat and Jay’s overbalance on cash. While the 4.75% interest rate their cash makes in its high-yield savings account is good, history indicates that money will perform better for you in the stock market (again, a ~7% annual return on average, over many decades).

Living Off Your Investments

This means you have enough invested in the market that you’re able to withdraw a safe percentage every year to cover your living expenses. So again, but two variables: how much you spend and how much you have invested. Folks quibble about what percentage constitutes a “safe rate of withdrawal,” but the most commonly cited is 4%.

How to do this math:

4% of your investments = the amount you can withdraw to live on annually

If we look at Kat and Jay’s current full net worth of $392,517, 4% of that is $15,700 per year. Based on their current spending level of $47,172, that’s not enough for them to live on. We can do backwards math to determine how much they’d need in order to spin off $47k a year. That answer is ~$1.2M (4% of $1.2M = $48k).

While that’s the number for today, it’s tough to project into the future because there are so many unknowns in Kat and Jay’s situation, including:

• Jay’s annual salary for the next 5-8 years
• Kat’s annual salary for the next 5-8 years
• What the stock market will do over the next 5-8 years
• If they’re paying for their own health insurance
• Where they decide to settle down
• If they buy a home
• How much their rent/mortgage is in the US

In light of that, we can’t precisely model out exactly what their financial situation will be in 5-8 years, but we can absolutely do some back-of-the-envelope math to give them a sense of direction.

I input the amount Kat and Jay currently have invested in the market ($347,637) as well as the amount they’re able to invest each month ($2,573) assuming they invest their full $30,876 annual difference between their income and expenses. I went with a flat 7% market return.

If the market returns 7% each year and Kat and Jay continue to invest $30,876 annually, they’d have ~$665k in five years. Let’s turn to our safe rate of withdrawal percentage now to see what they’d have:

4% of $665,138.69 = $26,605.54 available to spend each year

Scenario #1: Retire from the Military in Five Years and Enact “Coast FI”

While fully retiring in five years isn’t really possible with their current numbers, they could certainly have Jay leave the military and find part-time jobs that pay enough to cover their living expenses.

The idea behind Coast FI is that you no longer need your fully-loaded full-time job with retirement and benefits and instead, just need to earn enough to cover your expenses. Thus, you’re no longer investing for retirement or in your taxable investment account, but you’re also not drawing down anything from your investments. You’re letting your investments “coast” and grow until they’re substantial enough to enact a 4% withdrawal.

In this instance, your spending directly dictates how much you need to earn at your job.

What Would Happen If They Retired in Eight Years Instead?

With all of the same variables as above, and three years longer in the market, the picture changes dramatically:

4% of $914,086.75 = $36,563.47

This brings Kat and Jay a lot closer to their current spending level. The challenge here, again, is that we don’t know what their incomes or the market will do during this time period. However, they can utilize this calculator to determine how they’re progressing towards their goal.

Will They Run Out Of Money Before They Die?

As we can see, if Jay and Kat retired at age 37 and lived to age 90, they’d have an 89% chance of not running out of money before they died. I don’t love that success rate. I personally am more comfortable with something like a 98% – 100% chance of success, but again, all of this is theoretical and we can’t know precisely what will happen.

Social Security?

Another major variable here is Social Security. Kat and Jay don’t know their anticipated Social Security payout, which could change the above calculation by quite a bit. If they’d like to do this math on their own, they can input their anticipated SS in the above calculator under the section “extra income” along with the age at which they expect to start taking SS.

Kat and Jay can figure out their anticipated Social Security benefits by following these instructions on how to retrieve their earnings tables from ssa.gov (the government’s Social Security website).

Can Kat & Jay Reach FI in 5-8 Years?

• Maintaining a good salary
• Keeping their expenses low
• Wisely and aggressively investing the difference between their income and expenses
• Avoiding debt

→If they continue on this path, they will eventually reach Financial Independence, no doubt about it.

When exactly that will be depends on a number of variables we don’t know right now, which I articulated above:

• Their anticipated Social Security payouts
• If they’d like to do Coast FI or pursue full FIRE

Kat next asked: If we’re not on track to reach FI in 5-8 years, what do we need to cut back on to achieve this goal?

If Kat finds a job that works with their lifestyle, that would certainly speed up their progress towards FI. But, as it stands, if they’re willing to extend their timeline and have Jay work longer, she doesn’t need to get a job. It’s really all about how aggressive they want to be with these two variables.

If their ultimate priority is to reach full FIRE in 5-8 years, then Kat needs to find the highest-paying job she can, they both need to work as many hours as they can be paid for and they need to cut their spending to the bone.

That’s the extreme version and it’s but one option. The other options all fall somewhere in between. There’s no right or wrong here, it’s just a question of what they want most:

• Do they want work/life balance now and a longer timeline to FI?
• Or, do they want to work nonstop for the next 5-8 years in order to fully retire in their 30s?

Kat’s Question #3: What type of paid work should I pursue next? Any suggestions for timezone-flexible remote work?

I don’t know exactly what Kat’s work history is, but she mentioned she’s been a writer in the past. In my experience as a freelance writer for various magazines and online publications, this is a completely timezone-flexible job. The client doesn’t care what time of day you’re writing at, they just wants the piece delivered by deadline.

Freelance writing doesn’t pay very well, but it could be something for Kat to explore as an add-on to another job. Since she doesn’t need the benefits of a full-time position, she could cobble together a number of freelance gigs. That being said, if she did find a US-based employer with a matching 401k/403b retirement plan, that would certainly help with their FIRE math.

At present, Kat is not eligible to contribute to her own IRA since she doesn’t have earned income; but, she could look into opening a spousal IRA.

Kat’s Question #4: How can Jay and I better connect during times when we’re on opposite ends of the work/life balance spectrum?

It’s so hard to feel at odds with your spouse’s schedule and energy level. I wonder if they’ve considered establishing an evenings/weekends schedule that would enable them to both get what they need from their time together?

Additionally, Kat noted that a lot of their time together is used to prepare for the next week. If she’s not working, I wonder if she might consider shifting all of that prep work to during the weekdays when Jay is at work? Laundry, house cleaning, errands, meal prep, etc could all take place while Jay’s at work so that the weekends are reserved exclusively for free/leisure time together.

• Keep doing what you’re doing. You will reach FIRE eventually if you continue on this path.
• If FIRE-ing ASAP is the priority, Kat needs to get a well-paying job, you need to cut your spending to the bone and shovel money into your investments.
• If Coast FI in a few years is appealing, consider what part-time jobs you might both enjoy working to cover your expenses.
• There are infinite possibilities here and you should feel confident that you have the basis to support whichever path you choose.
• Take a look at how much cash you have on hand and ensure that it makes sense with your timeline for leaving the military, buying a house, etc.
• Consider shifting all prep/household work to the weekdays to reserve the weekends for free/leisure time.
• Consider creating a weekend schedule that ensures both of you are getting what you need from your downtime together.

Ok Frugalwoods nation, what advice do you have for Kat? We’ll both reply to comments, so please feel free to ask questions!

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90 comments.

This book could be an additional resource. https://www.amazon.com/Military-Guide-Financial-Independence-Retirement/dp/1570233195 . Consider the reserves for a few years.

Submarine veteran Doug Nordman (this book’s author) is a long-time well-respected contributor in the FIRE space, and an early military viewpoint within the whole movement (from 2002). Seek out more of his work. I think his earliest blog efforts are no longer visible, but I’ve not gone looking in the past several years.

Wow, these two are in a fantastic spot for a 29 and 28 year old couple. No doubt but they will be very successful with their goals.

One very small quibble with the 4% guideline. That was meant to fund a 30 year retirement. Since this couple is so young, they would probably want to use 3% max for their calculations of what kind of income their nest egg could provide for them.

Check out this article about the problem with 4% rule https://www.madfientist.com/discretionary-withdrawal-strategy/

It is possible to use 4% or even higher withdrawal rate for a longer retirement since the money will have a longer time to grow. The article will at least get you to think outside the box on the 4% rule.

Others say that people could even do a 5% withdrawal rate if they’re okay with being flexible when the markets trend downwards. (See for example the Madfientist’s blogpost: https://www.madfientist.com/discretionary-withdrawal-strategy/ )

There’s an awful lot of discussion out there on withdrawal rates (and I would say that Kat and Jay, and others interested in early retirement, should read up on it). But 3% definitely is a bit on the too-careful side. It would require the average person to work about four to five years longer to accumulate that much more (assuming 7% growth of the money that they already have and a 25-40% savings rate). That’s an awfully long time to not start enjoying your freedom if it probably only means that you will die even richer.

I recently read this Madfientist post and it really got me thinking! We’ve gained nothing, if not flexibility, over our eight years together.

Congratulations, Kat and Jay and thanks for sharing! One thing I would encourage is to make sure Jay is evaluated for VA disability, no matter what discharge personnel say, once he has separated from the Marines. My husband was in the Army and when he was discharged he was told he didn’t qualify for anything; 10 years later we are learning that was incorrect. It never hurts to ask and be evaluated. It’s still an unknown but something to consider if he decides not to pursue the reserves once he separates from the Marines. We have been working with an agency in our county that helps Veterans with service connection so once you’re back stateside try to find a Veterans Service Commission who should be able to connect you with a Benefits Advocate. I hope you get to enjoy some forest bathing while you’re in Japan! I’m hoping to visit one day 🙂

I found this a bit confusing myself. My partner was in the Navy for 7 years and he gets VA medical benefits. He has to pay for his medication, but that cost is based on income. Everything else is covered by VA except dental.

Just to clear up my comment. I am speaking just of our personal experience. I would not qualify for any benefits and other then medical benefits and VA Mortgage, he does not qualify for other benefits that people who stay the full 20 years.

Hi Lauren! We’ll definitely look into that. Someone to explain the benefits would be great. Seems others are saying they did not serve for 20 and are receiving health benefits.

Yes, my husband was active duty AF for 4 years and he has VA healthcare benefits for life.

I am also a Marine Corp spouse and have discovered Military credit card Travel hacking to cover a lot of our travel expenses. We also love to travel and it has helped tremendously! Many great credit card’s annual fees are waived for us and give us tremendous value to use toward travel.

Hi Maribel! Which cards are your favorite?

Spouse of a retired Marine Corps officer chiming in: for lodging during travels we use the Armed Forces Vacation Club. They are basically timeshare condos that are released to eligible military members for a weekly flat rate fee.

Many cards, including the AmEx Platinum, waive the (hefty) annual fee for active duty military members, but you can still take advantage of all the perks. I’m a DoD civilian, and am jealous when I travel with my military co-workers.

It would be worth running the numbers on staying in for 20 years to get the pension, as well as (potentially) him deploying to a higher-risk deployment for a year, which comes with a number of potential investment opportunities as well as pay bonuses.

Great job on your savings! As someone who retired with a pension, I would try to get through to the 20 year mark to get a pension as a source of the income to FIRE or coast. You can’t guarantee that. as you age, that you will be work to able to make up the difference by working if the market drops or your expenses are high. I did mental health counselling & that was a major stressors for people without a pension trying to survive until they got to 65 to get taxpayer paid pensions. (Canada). Hopefully the next posting would be better. Health insurance is an expense that is only going to get more costly for one thing.

Healthcare is a major consideration for us. I appreciate everyone sharing how much they spend on healthcare to give me a better idea.

It looks like you forgot to factor in their TSP contribution? That is a significant portion of their monthly investments.

Yes, another ~ $24,000 per year!

Tough case study that a lot of mid grade officers find themselves in. Honestly, it seems more about lifestyle design than finances. I say this because I found myself chasing FIRE post military career and definitely achieving the FI, but not wanting the RE once I was there. Instead a part time job at first, then later 2 different government positions in Europe ultimately offered my family and I the best balance for work and life we could have ever hoped for. . It’s easy to fixate on the numbers but I would really encourage you to dig into the daily aspects of living somewhere that are most fulfilling. For example, commuting by bike, easy train and airport access, plentiful hiking trails, nice cafes and access to the city made our location a perfect fit. The place we initially settled into in the US after returning from overseas isn’t what we thought it would be either. Definitely read Doug Nordmans Military Guide if you haven’t already. He really gets at the heart of this issue well

You’re speaking my language! We’ve begun researching places we think we’d like to “settle” down. Ultimately, I just want more time together doing the things we love to do.

I think it’s always tough for military spouses, whichever nationality they may be. It’s very tricky to try and get a career stable and progressing with all of the moving around. Even hot-ticket professions don’t benefit from being moved about, often on short notice, quite regularly to places where opportunities are limited / there maybe language barriers and so on. I suspect that when the time comes that you do settle back in the States, your own ideas for a career path, be it very part-time or not, will exponentially increase, just because of more interesting feasible opportunities. Given that you are clearly someone who is intelligent and thoughtful, with various ideas / plenty of energy, it may easily be that you actively want to work a couple of days each week or equivalent at that point. Jay may also want that, once he’s had a bit of time to decompress and relax a little. It’s so hard to look into a crystal ball and know for sure, but I think that the idea of a business that you run together is a good one, something to build and invest in, though those are often more-than-full time, at least initially!

As someone who retired early and had a husband who was forced to retire early at 59, I can tell you that healthcare is an enormous expenditure if you have to self fund. We are healthy 63 year olds and ended up needing surgery for previous sports injuries(not something that could wait until Medicare). We pay $1200 a month for insurance with a $14k deductible. Since our income from pensions and a small business is just above the limit to get a discount, it is a struggle to keep up with the cost of health care, especially when you need to fund surgeries or other health issues that are not anticipated. I know it is difficult to have a taxing job(we each had very taxing careers with three kids), but you are young and will still be young if you stay with the military for 20 years. Good job on your investments-seems like you both are thinking about this with a clear head. Best of Luck!

Nice to see someone from the same geographic region as me. I don’t really have much to add to what Liz has said. I think the two of you are doing great and have bought yourself a lot of freedom, at least financially. As a company grade officer at III MEF your husband likely has many years of busy workdays ahead of him. I am curious how you keep your travel budget so low. You are living at a location that is a gateway for a lot of destinations. I am looking for tips on budget travel while living in Japan.

Hi Donald! We actually aren’t great budget travelers. We’re trying to take about 5-6 short trips per year. We would love to travel more, but Jay hasn’t been able to take a lot of time off at this station. We mostly travel within Japan, which has kept flight costs down. We also take advantage of public transit, eat at konbinis, and our favorite activities of sightseeing and hiking are mostly free.

You have done an amazing job and we know that serving in the Marines is not an easy lifestyle.. I commend you for taking the time to learn a new language and if it is possible, we hope it will help you with your future employment. IMO it may be unrealistic to FIRE before age 55, especially with the high inflation we have seen since January of 2021, and planning for a consistent 7% asset may not work long term. It could be done living in a van and having no rent or mortgage payments, as the home prices and energy costs may continue to increase until we have better leadership in Washington DC that understands the damage that our 32 trillion dollars in our national debt has caused.

Counterpoint to those saying stay in until retirement… that can be a good option but military life comes with a lot of injury risk that can impede your happiness and opportunities to travel, etc. long-term. My husband (former Army officer) is 35 and had an injury that causes him pain on a daily basis and has already required two surgeries with more expected as he ages. If you love it (or are at least content with the job) that’s one thing, but I would not suggest staying in solely for the pension.

The wear and tear on the body is high! At 28, Jay already has severe back and knee pain.

Long-time lurker, first-time poster here! As a fellow military officer, I just wanted to highlight the amazing earned benefit that is military retirement. If Jay is 29/captain, that means he probably has about 8 years in. If their desire is to be FIRE (and no longer in the Marine Corps) by age 37, he would have 16 years in. That’s just 4 years short of military retirement. Let’s look at what they are giving up to separate from military service at 16 years: – A lieutenant colonel who retires at 20 years would make about $5,000 (in today’s dollars) per month in retirement pay. Reversing the 4% rule Mrs. Frugalwoods cites would equate this pension to a $1.5M annuity – Military retired healthcare isn’t completely free like it was for our grandparents generation, but annual enrollment costs for a family of two is about $700 (again, in today’s dollars). Compare that to $12,000 per year for an average family of two 40-year olds. Sure, co-pays are more for retired military than we were used to while on active duty, but still cheaper than healthcare through a private plan! Similarly great benefits for dental and vision. – Not to mention the myriad little benefits that add up over time…use of the on-base grocery store, discounted tickets to theme parks & shows, cheap life insurance, etc. – Many states waive income taxes partially/fully for military retirees

Bottom line: If they can stick it out until 20 years (yes, military life is hard…but rewarding, too), the government will pay them a nice nest egg for the rest of their lives.

I agree with everyone who recommends your husband stay in until retirement. I got out as a Captain at 8 years and even though I had a well paying career, there is no pension and healthcare was not covered when I quit working. My husband and my father both retired after 20 and 30 years and they were able to live a good life with travel and cheap healthcare. My mother had very expensive medical conditions (cancer, aneurysm, cancer again) and the bills showed over 100k, but they did not have to pay anything because of Tricare for life and Medicare covering everything. When you are at the 8-10 year mark you really want to get out and not have the pressures that the military job can have. But looking back there have been many times I wish I had stayed in. At 29 you think that age 50-60 is so far away but now that I am that age you realize how fast time really flies. As someone else mentioned if this assignment is not a good one, you can work at getting transferred somewhere else. Good luck.

I can’t second this enough. Jay is CRAZY to be leaving the pension on the table.

At the bare minimum I implore him to join the reserves upon exiting active duty and finish his 20 that way. In fact the reserves are kind of the perfect complement to a FIRE life – it’s nearly-free, high-quality healthcare and the option to make a six-figure paycheck for as much or as little as he wants.

For context on what I mean here – as a reservist the bare minimum obligation is two weeks of training a year and one weekend a month of ‘drill’ (though in reality it can be a lot more flexible than this depending on your unit / community – e.g. one week a quarter, or one month a year), but there are tons of opportunities to go on longer periods of active duty from 30 days to years at a time – all while making your cushy O3-O5 salary and BAH. Maybe you want a lifestyle where you only work 6 months of the year, or every other year, or maybe you want to save up for a big home renovation without digging into your savings – the reserves can make that happen! (I promise I’m not a recruiter)

The only caveat to reserve retirement is that it wouldn’t start until he was between 57-60, as opposed to if he remains active for the full 20 it would start immediately upon his retirement from duty – and of course it would be somewhat prorated to the amount of time spent on active duty. So in this example if we assume he’s got 10 years in active and then finishes off the remaining 10 on the reserve side, his pension amount would be a bit less (maybe 20 – 40%) depending on how much time he spent on active duty orders during the 10 years as a reservist (there’s a whole points system which I won’t go into detail on here).

He doesn’t have to stay USMC either – the other branch reserve components would be happy to take him in. He could even likely redesignate into a different field.

Can’t tell you how many disenchanted O3s I’ve met throw away the equivalent of $1,000,000 or more by hard-quitting out of the military without thinking about reserves.

Hi Dan! The reserves is definitely on our radar. It’s flexibility we crave.

My husband was in the Air Force for 20 years. Gets a monthly pension, but best of all , we get healthcare forever. We are in are late 50’s. I still work full time, but has medical issues and was able to retire (from the VA too). If you can stay in for the full 20 years you will never regret it. Medical insurance is vital. Best wishes to a fellow military family.

I think that taking time and being more relaxed about what sort of employment you choose after Jay gets out of the service is definitely doable, but as far as permanent FIRE, I see a huge issue: The life-income / drawdown estimate is based on 100% investment in stocks (I’m assuming that means an average 8% return?) You can NOT rely on drawdowns of aggressive investments to fund your lifestyle. Pulling your living expenses from volatile investments when the market is down will deplete your principal, and thereby future earning potential, in the blink of an eye. This is something of a catch-22; you can’t rely on those investments to fund your lifestyle on a daily basis and still retain adequate principal, but moving your money to less volatile investments also means a reduced ROI.

Edited to add: at the least, you need a balanced portfolio that allows you to choose whether to draw from stocks or fixed value investments, based on market conditions.

Hi Kib! I’ll definitely be adding bonds into the mix soonish.

As others have said, the best advice I can give is definitely STAY IN for 20 years. I’m about to retire from the military this year with 24 years (I definitely would have left at 20 if I didn’t have kids). They will have a good pension to live off of for the rest of his life as well as free medical for the rest of both of your lives (well ~40$/month). If he doesn’t feel he can stay in the Marines that long, maybe consider an interservice transfer to a different service. Also, the wife should get a job ASAP even if it’s low paying. That money will add up over time and she should continue to contribute until she finds an ideal job. They’ve done a great job so far.

I have a general question for Liz and any others who want to chime in! My family, like Kat and Jay, has investments in a total stock market index fund. We have gotten feedback that this is way too heavily weighted toward technology businesses. I’m wondering what your response to this feedback would be! Thanks!

Personally, I wouldn’t worry about it, but I am a “set it and forget it” Boglehead. We are heavy in VTSAX, but since VTSAX it is a reflection of the total stock market, you technically aren’t tilting towards anything. VTSAX is simply a reflection of the US market as a whole. And if you buy into some kind of specialty fund or overweight into other sectors somehow to counteract the tech, you would be trying to outperform the market, which could end up either going well or badly.

I am not sure why that is an issue? It is weighted towards Technology companies because they are a dominant industry right now. An index changes over time so if these industries became less dominant the ratio would change. If all the technology companies failed at once then we would have bigger issues and what fund you were in would be the least of your problems.

As far as remote work, can you look at some US based companies that offer jobs globally? I used to work for amazon while living in Europe and now I work remotely for a global chemical company and have coworkers all around the world. I’d get on linked in and look for remote work.

This is awesome! I like how Mrs. FW recommended getting all of those other things done during the week so you all can enjoy your time together. When the time is precious it is good to spend it on what really matters to you.

I know the rough estimate of an emergency fund of 6 months of household expenses. However, should there be additional money set aside for catastrophies? While I am still earning my typical salary I recently got hit with a large and unexpected medical expense and then a week later had to get a new transmission.

This young couple appear to be totally focused on the future and not enjoying where they are today. I think it is wonderful that they have been so careful with saving and thoughtful about their finances. But i would advise them to use some of that money to travel and experience as many countries as they can while they are abroad. And spend more time together. Plan for the future, sure, but make the most of the opportunities available right now. I wish them all the best.

I second this so hard! A nice balance is in order. My father in law worked like a DOG. All to enjoy it “soon” and when he early retired all the medical issues came. Now despite being verrrry FI from all that hard work he will never see the Amazon. Knees won’t hold up. Pulmonologist wouldn’t want him there. Now the MIL has orthopedic issues.

When you are healthy you are wealthy. I think we all lose sight of that. And no amount of money can give healthy, impeded mobility, ect. Loosen up you two 🙂

Hi Bea! From your mouth to my husband’s ears! We’ve been to 10 countries and 30 US states. All of the photos above are from the past year. Travel is our biggest spending priority. He unfortunately can’t carve out much time in his current demanding role… hence the desire to “retire” and be more flexible. It’s awesome we’re abroad, but that actually means it’s a higher tempo station. Quite the catch.

i am not a military guy but have several friends who retired after 20. also many people with that direct experience are chiming in that to serve 16 and not 20 would be leaving a MASSIVE benefit on the table. you have such great habits and have been winning so much financially you will win either way. obviously a 2nd income by kat of even $15-20,000/year adds up quickly.

trying to predict life 10-15 years in advance is folly. stick to your already amazing habits and you will be fine.

on a personal note, i slowed down to working 5-10 hours a week at age 50 and have the luxury of owning a business that i can work as much or little as i want. i missed working more. i did not realize how much i enjoy work and providing for my family. i have tons of friends in their 50’s and the amount who skillfully retire is few no matter the net worth. so many people in the FIRE movement hyper focus about fully retiring vs altering existing work or creating new types of work that serve you. focus on excellence and quality of life now and continue to contribute and create after full time service. quality and type of work & work/life balance is wildly underrated and retirement is vastly overrated for the majority of people

Hi Eric! That’s what we’re aiming for – a better balance. Whatever that ends up looking like 🙂

An important consideration for the next 5-8 years is going to be the cost of living relative to the BAH that Jay is authorized in a given area. In our experience as a military family, living overseas offered a few years with a very high savings right, but the OHA was much more generous than BAH stateside. Take home pay is lower and housing takes a larger proportion of our monthly income, reducing our savings rate.

So the savings rate for them now may not be indicative of the next 5-8 years without very conscious decisions around housing and Kay’s employment.

Hi Nan! We’ve strangely had the opposite experience. We were able to save more stateside due to the BAH (for our small apartments) and the job opportunities for me. It’s definitely hard to make any plans in this lifestyle!

They’ve done an excellent job! Not much to add to their already solid footing, but as an FIRE-since-38 myself…

1) Not to be grim so much as pragmatic, but travel while you’re young and can move around easily. Travel only gets more expensive, climate change is destroying places at a rapid pace; see it while you can and it’s there.

2) After some time off after achieving FIRE (almost a decade ago), we’ve also ended up working part-time, just not all the time. We haven’t touched our savings. It’s amazing how many opportunities open up when you have time not working in formal employment to build new skills, and people start to hear about it.

3) Health insurance costs and offerings vary tremendously by state, since each state implements and funds their state healthcare marketplaces separately. The differences are substantial enough that healthcare marketplaces are something to consider in deciding where to move. It’s also key to read up on income levels and the federal subsidy (which does shift depending on federal politics, sadly). In California (where we live), keeping our earned income low enough — and with our low costs, still high-for-us (in the vicinity of ~$75k/year) — meant we qualified for subsidies that brought our monthly premiums down to $50-$100/month for both of us. In addition, monthly health insurance premiums are fully tax deductible if you are self-employed. This REALLY changes your total outlay. Good luck and congratulations!

Hi Steph! I totally agree. I’m starting to research healthcare costs now, so I really appreciate you sharing this!

As a retired USAF family, I thank you for your service. Completing and retiring after 20 years of service was probably the best life decision we could have made. Why? Lifelong health insurance coverage! Although not free, the annual premium is around $600. Yes, the ANNUAL premium is $600. This in addition to your retirement check that starts immediately at retirement and lasts your entire life is an unbeatable deal. Life in the military is certainly challenging but we are leaps and bounds ahead of our non-military pears. Good luck with wherever life brings you.

I’m very interested in how they are living overseas with a Vanguard account in America. We are planning to move to Australia soon and I’m wondering whether we should open a Vanguard account here in America before we go so we have an option to invest directly in America. I know Australia has their own platforms but America really offers such low fees in comparison. But then I don’t know how that works with taxation and living abroad and accessing the money if we choose to live in Australia indefinitely.

Hi Leonora! We’re living abroad under SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement) and are still fully US citizens so we can keep our US accounts. If you maintain your citizenship status, you can maintain your accounts.

Have you heard of Squared Away? It is a virtual assistant service that focused on hiring spouses of active service members. It could be a good option for Kat while she figures out how she wants to proceed.

Ohhh looking it up now, thank you! 🙂

I like the advice from the ex and current military folks. Staying in 20 years seems prudent — almost all work is hard and stressful, not just military. That’s just life. But his job pays more than twice what I make at 63! It’s nothing to sneeze at. Meanwhile, could Kat teach or tutor English? I would think there is demand and you might be able to make a decent hourly rate. Good luck!

My son is a Navy officer, been in 10 years, about to promote to 04. He plans to stay in for 20 years for all the reasons already listed by previous posters. Grit your teeth, stay in for 20, get the pension. These next few years are a great time to research your post-military living options and perhaps purchase a house in that area or near one of your relatives who could property manage for you. Use it as a rental. Even if you never live in it, you can build equity while still in the military and eventually have an additional stream of income.

I see people saying they don’t qualify for the VA. I’ll be the first to admit I have only three examples to guide me, and rules may have changed, but:

My husband served only 4 years in the Navy and got an honorable discharge. He entered at the very, very end of the Vietnam era but was not even remotely close to Vietnam – he was stateside for all but six or so months, then went to Europe on a carrier. After his service, he developed Type I (juvenile) diabetes.

He was told for decades that he would never qualify for the VA healthcare so we shouldered all his medical costs ourselves and didn’t even try to apply for the VA. Then we found out an older man, who served in the Navy but didn’t retire from the service, was using the VA for healthcare. Then our brother-in-law, who served in the Army four years both stateside and in Okinawa during the Vietnam Era, but was never in Vietnam or combat, got VA healthcare. We applied in 2014 and my husband was accepted. He had to pay some co-pays for doctors, hospital and drugs, but some things were still free to him, even though he was in the group that pays the most out of pocket. The money we could have saved on his diabetic treatment in the decades before he got VA care – literally thousands and thousands of dollars – is huge.

Things may have changed since 2014, but I would strongly suggest checking into the VA healthcare. Speak to a VSO or a Patient Advocate. The form to apply is on the VA website.

However, as others have pointed out, staying in seems impossible now, but you will be so close in 8 years – it just doesn’t make sense to walk away and leave that on the table. A young woman I know is 37 – her husband retires from the army in less than 2 years. They’ve bought a nice home and are making plans for a future of maybe part-time work and time to travel and enjoy their pup. They say it was absolutely worth staying till retirement!

Hi JD! We’ll definitely keep looking into the health benefits. And thank you for your perspective!

Great job! I’d also recommend checking out this podcaster/and his book ( https://militarymoneymanual.com/ ), sincefrugal travel is a top goal.

Just here as a dissenter. I left my job a few years short of realizing the required amount for the pension, and I have zero regrets. There are always other paths, and sometimes it’s worth a change of course if you really don’t want to stay on your current one. Sure, it’s a few more years, but you can spend those years doing something else, and perhaps earn more or you’d be willing to work a little longer in exchange for the switch. Maybe you find something in the government or another employer that honors the years served. The benefits of the military are tremendous, but the benefits of living an intentional life while being financially prudent are even better.

Thank you for sharing! I feel this sentiment deeply.

They are contributing an additional $1,864 per month to Jay’s TSP from his gross earnings before arriving at his net income. This will significantly increase their net worth over the next 5-8 years. I believe a recalculation needs performed to include this.

Yep, and it gets a decent match too!

I am and veteran, served from 1993 until 2004, and I get all my care through the VA (I have no disability). They send me a letter yearly that counts as my health coverage for taxes and I pay a 15$ copay for primary care visits and 30$ or 50$copays for specialty visits and imaging with no monthly premium. I am very happy with my care.

Interesting! I am still a little confused by the VA website. That would be great if he gets some healthcare coverage.

First, this couple is in AMAZING shape for their ages! Kudos to you both for your hard work and for finding, and following, a FI lifestyle at such a young age. I’d like to counter the “stay in 20 more years”….I recently left a career (at 50) when we had reached “coach FI”. I could have stayed in 5 more years to get lifetime health insurance. Do we pay more for insurance now than I’d hoped? Yes :(. Do I regret leaving my career? Absolutely not. You can’t plan for every “what if?”, and if the numbers work for you and you know it’s time to leave, you should do so. It’s scary, but you are clearly the kind of people who are working to make an informed decision. Best to you both!

Hi Janie! Thank you! And thank you for sharing your experience – I appreciate your perspective 🙂

Hi – I resonated with your comment regarding self-funding your retirement rather than putting in 20 years for a pension. I too made the skip the pension choice and I’m really glad that I did. A number of friends who stayed for the full 20 years to receive their pension/healthcare were pretty miserable. I liked having the freedom of self-funding my retirement and it has been very doable to figure out how to get there. One thing I’ve not focused enough on at various points in the FIRE journey is life at present and enjoying now. I’ve also been in the situation of not working at times and at very different energy levels than a working partner during those stretches – it’s tricky. There were just alot of your story that were similar to my experience. I think as you get a part-time job going maybe things will feel a little better. It feels good to cross that FIRE threshold while working alongside a partner rather than have it revolve around hitting a certain mark in one partner’s career. I’ve liked heading in the general direction of FIRE without being stuck finishing out one person’s career path for a pension – and doing what works year by year along the way for each partner. If you’d ever want to chat by email that would be fun. Good luck!

Hi LB! “…the freedom of self-funding my retirement…” That’s exactly what I am aiming for! We’ve moved a lot and every year looks different, so I’m definitely rolling with the punches, enjoying the ride.

I would suggest that he stay in to get his 20 before retiring. Then they can both fully retire with ease. In the meantime maybe she can do more to help him be less tired. With him bringing in a salary like that plus a pension that would bring in millions before he dies she should be doing everything around the house to make things as easy for him as possible. Hopefully his work load will decrease with his next promotion. That is obviously not a sure thing but it is worth considering. That would make it easier to go the full 20.

No worries on that front – I am taking care of the domestic duties for now as he’s working 16 hour days. When I was working full-time and taking Master’s courses, he was in a training course and had more free time, so he did most of the housework. We’ve got a good balance there.

Unfortunately, I can’t imagine his workload lessening as he pins Major or Lt. Col – I would never get to see him 🙁

I would say that over the next couple of years, Kat, you could focus on building your skills and career to get to work options for you to do parttime when you are FI / almost FI. I don’t know what that job (or entrepreneurial option?) is, that also depends on your interests and skills. You might need to do a course or get a certification in some way, but this could be a good time to explore those options and work towards it. I imagine that if a couple of years from now Jay quits the military, it would be awesome if you have the capabilities to easily and flexibly earn some income to pay at least part of your expenses. I could imagine becoming a tax preparer, building IT skills, or building and expanding creative skills.

Personally, I’ve reached FI at age 43 and I have found that I want to keep working parttime. That is also what I’m doing now. Looking back, I should not have been in such a rush to reach FI. I could have downshifted earlier (and enjoy more free time). I would have gotten to full FI status slightly later, but with more fun and less stress along the way.

So perhaps what I see for you is that in a few years when Jay quits the military you will have an extremely solid financial base, and hopefully you both will have plenty of options to do enjoyable part time work, maybe just for part of the year, and enjoy the rest of your time. Your income will cover your expenses or you will need to take say $5k-$10k from savings every year, but still your assets will keep growing until you’re at some point fully FI. You will not care so much anyway because life is fun and adaptable to your wants and needs already, even when you aren’t fully FI yet.

Finally, an out-of-the-box option: you might explore whether either of you has the option to become a citizen of a nation that has a more affordable healthcare system than the US. Maybe you can apply because a parent or a grandparent had a certain nationality. Or maybe you can apply on your own merits (for example because you bring specific talents, or money, to the table). The world’s your oyster.

Hi Petra! Thanks for sharing. I am actually slowly working on a Master’s degree. Teaching part-time is one of my many ideas for post-FI life.

Sorry Mrs. Frugalwoods but your 3-6 months emergency is outdated. In today’s world, 8 months is cutting it close and 12 months is much more realistic. Sure, most could get “a job” in no time but “a job” may come nowhere near covering existing expenses. The $44K in cash should remain right where it is.

Or… they could be more employable than you are. Or they will make do with what they have more easily than you can. Perhaps you have children who depend on you – they do not.

I am highly employable – IT people are always in demand. Children are on their own, financially stable and have more than 6 months in emergency funds. And right now they are young – talk to people in their 50s or even early 60s who lose their jobs. Most will tell you it is a nightmare to find a job. “Overqualified” or “expect too much in salary”. Nothing wrong with investing but fixed/minimal living expenses are just that.

According to the graph, wouldn’t they only have like a 10% chance of not being broke if they live till 90?

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for your input.

I want to clarify two points I wasn’t clear on:

– I do all of the domestic labor and errands during the week. Not on weekends. By prepping for the week, I meant that Jay is doing work related activities and personal care. Our weekends are otherwise free (if he’s home). But he’s often exhausted due to the long work days, business trips, field exercises, etc. And I can’t do anything about that… other than help us “retire” early! 🙂

– I’ve worked for an income for the past decade. I actually entered our marriage with more money. I’ve only been out of work for a few months, and I am actively job seeking. Many military spouses are un/underemployed. I’ve sacrificed a lot to support Jay’s career. I am contributing the best I can.

I think it’s amazing what you’ve accomplished together in such a short time and at such a young age! I hope you find a new job where you currently are that is fun and rewarding (also monetary 🙂 ) and I hope you two can enjoy the fruits of your labors really soon.

Hi Liz! Thank you for taking the time to do this case study! It’s definitely given me some realistic expectations.

It’s my understanding a “spousal IRA” is jargon for continuing to contribute to a non-working spouse’s IRA, so long as you file your taxes as married filing jointly and earn at least the contribution amount for both (so, at least $13,000). Am I totally off base on that? Do any tax experts know? Have I angered the tax gods? Thanks!

Your husband will qualify for VA healthcare benefits as a veteran – he doesn’t need to retire or have disability. Retirees qualify for tricare for life for themselves and all beneficiaries, but any veteran can access the VA healthcare system.

You guys are doing great! I had a question for you about your Vanguard investments. I’m also an ex-pat and a few years ago I went into a deep dive of index funds and it seemed like it wasn’t possible to buy/own Vanguard as an American abroad. There were some workarounds, but they seemed overly complicated for the amount of money that I had to invest at the time. How do you guys do it? Did you find a loophole? Thanks!

You guys are doing an awesome job, your decisions have been outstanding and you should be great if you continue the path you are on. Your case study generated a lot of activity which is always good. I wish you well in your endeavors. Kudos to you both.

Kat you and Jay are doing great. Congratulations!

You didn’t mention Jay’s total time in service or if he is prior enlisted. If Jay enjoys his job and the military he may really want to consider staying in until he has his full 20 years in to get the pension. If he does get out early then he may want to consider joining the reserves to get his 20 and a reserve pension. If he really doesn’t like what he does or doesn’t care for the military lifestyle then he should resign his commission and get out. Remember an active duty pension begins when he retires and you and he will have health care too. A reserve pension doesn’t begin until age 60 (gray area retiree) and Tricare doesn’t start until age 60.

For travel start using MAC flights space A travel. You do have to be somewhat flexible and should have funds to cover a last minute ticket if you can’t get a flight and have to make a travel deadline to get back. Best when active duty/retired active. If reserve/reserve retired I think the age thing comes into play again.

When you are stateside again, always ask if a military discount is offered when eating out, reserving hotels, etc. They really vary even within the same company/locations. Ask for military discount when booking flights too.

Having a career when your spouse is military is challenging. Most spouses end up with jobs not careers and not being stateside must make it a lot worse. I would try to find something on base just to have something to do and to bring in more income to put towards your future options. My husband went to Japan a year unaccompanied because we just could not afford 3 years of me not working straight out of school with students loans at the time for both of us.

If you are not using all your housing allowance, save it.

Consider reading The Military Money Manual.

Keep up the good work. You are doing great. Take care.

Wife of a USMCR(ret.) Marine and mom of two (one trying for PLC/OCS and one at a service academy)

Kat you guys are doing really well so far and you’re getting a lot of sound advice and perspective but there is a specific type of advice I think you’re looking for and I’m not sure you’re getting it: advice/ perspective from someone who got out of the military before 20 years and still managed to find great happiness and success even without that mythical 20+ year retirement package. Yes the 20 year thing is great if you can make it. Few in the military do. Personally I am about to get out after 14 years of active duty and most people I talk to say I’m crazy to walk away from the deal where you give 20 or more of your best, youthful years to the military and in return they pave the rest of your road ahead with silver. Problem for me is that my job is crazy stressful and I’m burning fumes. If I keep going, FIRE won’t be much fun with the health problem accumulation trajectory I’m currently on. I don’t know if that is relateable to you or not, but what I’m saying is that priority #1 is to live long enough to be able to worry about what happens when you get older. Priority #2 is to nurture the health of your relationship. When I got to my most recent assignment, the Chief engineer, Commanding Officer, and Executive Officer were all going through divorces. And all were on track for a 20 year retirement. So what I’m saying is that if your present situation threatens your relationship then do something about it. Or don’t, but just know that military life can be somewhere between hard to fatal on relationships. If somehow you can make it 20+ years in the military with good health and a happy relationship then awesome, do it, listen to all the other commenters on here. If not then think hard about what you truly want from life. I’ll be getting out of active duty end of this year and I’ll be the test case for someone who tries to be wildly successful without the silver parachute of a military retirement. I’m aiming for a life of gold anyhow so it’s all good. By the way….about priority #3….FIRE….yeah create some side income, remote work, blog about being an overseas military spouse and build a community around that…do something, anything. Whatever you can contribute to the bottom line will make FIRE more quickly attainable. You guys have access to some amazing benefits, GI Bill, VA home loan program….you can get into real estate investing with a VA loan by buying a 2, 3 or 4 unit place and living in one unit and renting out the remaining units. That’s just one of many examples of side gigs that military people have better access to than most people.

Finallly: good luck! You’re doing so much right already so keep it up!

Hi Bryan! I really appreciate your perspective. People clearly think we’re crazy, too! We’re only at 6 years and Jay was never on the 20 year path anyway. I guess I didn’t make that clear in my post. It’s either FIRE or new careers, not 14 more years in the military. It has definitely been a tough lifestyle for our relationship, for his health, and for my career trajectory, but we’re making it work. I did have an interview yesterday. I’ve learned to be VERY flexible and know that there’s always a new opportunity around the corner.

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