Robert D. Eldridge

Thank you for visiting my Author Page. I am an historian of Japanese Political and Diplomatic History, with a focus on U.S.-Japan relations and postwar Okinawa issues. I have resided in Japan nearly three decades, including more than 20 years in the Osaka-Kobe area and 7 years in Okinawa where I promoted innovative policies for transparency and bridge-building between the U.S. military and local community when I served as the Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff, U.S. Marine Corps Bases Japan (later U.S. Marine Corps Installations Japan), from 2009-2015. As a survivor of the 1995 Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake in Kobe, I have long been involved in, as well, promoting crisis management and disaster preparedness and served as the Political Adviser to the Forward Command Element of U.S. Forces Japan during the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. Following the March 2011 disaster, I developed a disaster cooperation program throughout Japan promoting the establishment of relations between U.S. forces and likely-to-be-affected communities ahead of time, establishing official and informal partnerships with a dozen prefectures. Although I have long been involved in policy, I am an educator and researcher at heart and have published, translated, contributed to, or edited approximately 70 books in both English and Japanese. I am currently affiliated with a number of Foundations, Think Tanks and Institutes, and Universities, as well as advising several NPOs and NGOs. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask at: info@robertdeldridge.com .