Welcome back to Five Questions for a General, a production of the Modern War Institute at West Point. This series features specially selected cadet hosts who are given an incredible professional development opportunity—to sit down with senior military officers and ask carefully crafted questions about everything from leadership to their unique experiences while serving to their expectations about the future of war.
In this episode, West Point cadets Kehlani Stewart and Ryan Van Buskirk interview Lieutenant General Yoshiki Adachi, vice president of Japan’s National Defense Academy, about military education, leadership development, and the evolving security challenges of the Indo-Pacific region. Drawing on nearly four decades of military service and extensive experience working with the United States, General Adachi discusses his unconventional inspiration for joining the military, his visit to West Point for the Sandhurst Competition, and the similarities and differences between the National Defense Academy and the United States Military Academy. He explains how Japan’s joint military education system emphasizes intellectual development, physical fitness, character, self-discipline, and strategic thinking to prepare future officers for service across Japan’s Ground, Maritime, and Air Self-Defense Forces. Looking toward an increasingly complex security environment, General Adachi identifies strategic and critical thinking, technological literacy, ethical judgment, adaptability, and psychological resilience as essential qualities for the next generation of military leaders. He also highlights the growing importance of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cognitive warfare, and multinational cooperation, emphasizing the need for officers who can think beyond traditional military domains and make sound decisions amid uncertainty. Throughout the conversation, General Adachi reinforces the importance of developing well-rounded leaders through liberal arts education, military history, case studies, wargaming, and practical leadership experiences that prepare cadets to meet the challenges of an unpredictable future.
