Kristi Govella

Senior Adviser and Japan Chair
Kristi Govella

Kristi Govella is senior adviser and Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). She is also associate professor of Japanese politics and international relations at the University of Oxford. Dr. Govella was previously the inaugural director of the congressionally funded Center for Indo-Pacific Affairs at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, where she was also assistant professor of Asian studies from 2018 to 2024. From 2021 to 2022, she was senior fellow and deputy director of the Asia Program at the Washington, DC, headquarters of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, where she led the Japan and Korea portfolios. From 2017 to 2018, she conducted research as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University’s Program on U.S.-Japan Relations. From 2016 to 2017, Dr. Govella was associate professor at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, where she taught security-related courses for military and civilian representatives of the United States and Indo-Pacific countries and briefed U.S. government officials on regional issues. She has also been a visiting research fellow at the University of Tokyo and Waseda University and an adjunct fellow at the East-West Center and Pacific Forum. Dr. Govella is a widely published author and commentator in major outlets, and her work has examined topics such as economic statecraft, government-business relations, regional institutional architecture, military alliances, critical and emerging technologies, and the governance of the maritime, outer space, and cyber domains. She also serves as co-editor of the journal Asia Policy. She holds a PhD and an MA in political science from the University of California, Berkeley and a BA in political science and Japanese from the University of Washington, Seattle.

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2026 U.S.-Japan Security Seminar

Join the CSIS Japan Chair in collaboration with The Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA) for the 2026 U.S.-Japan Security Seminar

Event — January 23, 2026

State of Play

What are CSIS experts' boldest geopolitical predictions in 2026?

12 CSIS experts join Will to share significant developments in different parts of the world in 2025, and predictions for 2026.

Podcast Episode by Will Todman, Ryan C. Berg, Max Bergmann, Victor Cha, Thomas J. Christensen, Charles Edel, Kristi Govella, Henrietta Levin, Bonny Lin, Oge Onubogu, Gregory B. Poling, Richard M. Rossow, and Mona Yacoubian — January 15, 2026

Photo: iLab/CSIS

Indo-Pacific Forecast 2026

Please join the CSIS Geopolitics and Foreign Policy (GFP) Department's annual preview of political, economic, and security developments across the region.

Event — January 14, 2026

Japan Poised for Early General Election

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s plan to dissolve the lower house of the Japanese parliament could give her party a mandate for strong leadership—or it could exacerbate current governance challenges.

Critical Questions by Kristi Govella and Yuko Nakano — January 14, 2026

When Business and Politics Collide: Lessons from Nippon Steel

The CSIS Japan Chair examines the dynamics behind Nippon Steel’s acquisition of U.S. Steel and the broader lessons that might be drawn for future investment, government-business relations, U.S. policy, and U.S.-Japan relations. 

Event — October 29, 2025

Japan’s 26-Year-Old Ruling Coalition Collapses

As Japan is poised to select its new prime minister, the breakdown of the long-time coalition between the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito increases uncertainty about the path ahead.

Critical Questions by Kristi Govella — October 10, 2025