Redefining Japan The Us Japan Alliance

Japan is starting to emerge as a major player in the international security affairs of the post-Cold War era. With the approach of the half-century mark since the conclusion of the Second World War, Japan's postwar generation of leaders appears more confident than their predecessors about their country's potential contribution to global peace and stability. Evidence that Japan may be finding its footing as a great market democracy is extant in the recent report of a distinguished advisory commission reviewing Japan's National Defense Program Outline: "Japan should extricate itself from its security policy of the past that was, if anything, passive, and henceforth play an active role in shaping a new order."2.

Japan is starting to emerge as a major player in the international security affairs of the post-Cold War era. With the approach of the half-century mark since the conclusion of WSW II, Japan's postwar generation of leaders appears more confident then their predecessors about their country's potential contribution to global peace and stability. However, decisive action is now necessary to redefine the alliance and the four types of likely dangers. Interesting reading.

Redefining the Partnership examines the roles of the United States and Japan in East Asia's constantly changing political and economic environment. As the Cold War recedes further into the past, the United States and Japan have shifted interest to the other economically growing countries in East Asia. Scholars from both America and Japan propose solutions to the conflicts between the two countries in approach and explain the importance of a partnership to both countries. These proposals attempt to sort out the challenges of dealing with the military threats and political uncertainties of nations such as China and North Korea, while taking advantage of the economic development of the area. They express the importance of a stable relationship between the two countries for either to be successful, as well as the importance of dealing with problems like the United States trade deficit.

Highly readable yet deeply researched, this book serves as an essential guide to the many ways in which Japan has risen to become one of the world's most creative and innovative societies. During its so-called Lost Decades, Japan has quietly reinvented itself from a nation with an economy playing catch-up into a global leader in innovation and creativity, one whose "soft power" extends from postmodern architecture to pluripotent stem cells. Written by a dozen experts in their fields, including architect Kengo Kuma, designer of Tokyo's 2020 Olympic stadium, this book describes Japan's contributions to the world in fields ranging from fashion and pop culture to development aid and historical reconciliation. In addition, it demonstrates how Japan has led efforts to contend with several social and economic challenges facing the entire developed world, including demographic aging, rising healthcare costs, and wasteful consumption. Using these accomplishments as evidence, it argues that, in an era of questions surrounding the capability of American leadership, the time has come for Japan to step into a new role as a purveyor of models and values better suited to today's multipolar and diverse world.

This is an edited volume that examines the US-Japan security alliance, the key to US-Japanese relations since the end of US occupation in the 50s. The alliance has long been a source of both co-operation and stress between the two nations, but with rapid changes in Asia, it has grown more problematic. This book brings American and Japanese specialists together to examine the alliance within the wider regional environment and to determine whether and how the bilateral alliance can evolve and remain at the core of the region's security order.

Only of late has defense "burden sharing" emerged as a key issue in U.S.-Japanese relations. This monograph examines the legal, political, economic, and attitudinal constraints inhibiting the Japanese from contributing more to their defense. Includes discussion on the legal obligation of burden sharing; indicators of contribution to defense; legal, policy, and political constraints; Japan's defense contribution and some initiatives for increased burden sharing; and U.S. strategy to influence Japan's contribution. Charts and tables.