On Jun 8, 2018, the 44th G7 Summit began in La Malbaie, Quebec, Canada. For us audience, the story of this event could be summed up through the renowned photo depicting Chancellor Angela Merkel staring at the seated arm-crossed President Donald Trump before other world leaders such as France's Emmanuel Macron or Britain's Teresa May. However, one cannot help but notice the standing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was captured standing with his arms crossed while looking at President Macron. What was the meaning behind Abe’s posture? In the broader sense, what could it tell us about Japan’s role in the G7 summit, and how can we explain the international relations of Japan through these high-level meetings?

In today’s episode, we invited on board Professor Hugo Dobson to help us explore these questions further. Prof. Dobson is the professor of Japan’s International Relations and the Head of the Department of the School of East Asian Studies at the University of Sheffield. His research focuses on the one hand on Japan’s role in international relations, multilateral organizations, and global governance while conversely, he explores the role of images in shaping our understanding of international relations and Japan’s global role.