Professor Ryo Sahashi came to Georgia State University to present a lecture titled, "Whither Japan: Japanese Foreign Policy in the Asian Century and the Future of Japan-US Relations." Professor Sahashi, an Assistant Professor at the University of Tokyo, spoke about the changing role of the United States in the Pacific region, the demographic and economic challenges which the Japanese government would be facing over then next several years, and the rising importance of China as a regional, if not global, power. All of this was discussed through the lens of new security issues, such as energy security, piracy, and dealing with the current economic downturn.