Captain Saito works for the Operational Law Office, JMSDF Command and Staff College. At sea, he has served in seven destroyers, including two Aegis warships. He is a graduate of the National Defense Academy of Japan and holds a master’s degree in foreign service from the Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and not necessarily those of the JMSDF, Ministry of Defense, or Government of Japan.