Gen. Kiyofumi Iwata is the chief of staff of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. Commissioned as an armor officer, he has held a number of command and directorial positions in his 24-year career. He attended the National Defense Academy of Japan and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. This article was derived from a speech he gave at the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2015 Annual Meeting and Exposition.