Lecture

Preparing for the Worst: Japan and a Taiwan Strait Crisis

Date

Tuesday 27 January 2026

Time

16:00 - 17:30 hour

Address

Wijnhaven Building 2.58, Turfmarkt 99, The Hague or online (hybrid event)

The registration deadline is 27 January.

Register now

What would happen if a crisis in the Taiwan Strait forced large numbers of people in Japan to flee their homes? How prepared is the Japanese government to protect and support them, and what can Europe learn from this?

On 27 January, LAC Asia Academy welcomes Mina Pollmann, Japan Research Fellow at the Leiden Asia Centre and a regular contributor to The Diplomat. Drawing on her recent report Preparing for the Actual Worst: Supporting Japanese Internally Displaced Persons in a Taiwan Strait Contingency, she will examine how Japan is planning for a possible evacuation from Okinawa in the event of conflict, where those plans fall short, and what governments can do to better support displaced populations in long term crises.

The lecture will be followed by a response from Thomas Kavadias, Policy Officer for East Asia at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who will reflect on the policy implications for the Netherlands and Europe.

Questions? Contact the organisers at [e-mail].