Japan May Become Both More Independent and More Allied With the U.S.
The outcome of debate over Japan’s weapons export ban will shape the future of its defense policy.
The Battle of Okinawa 2010: Japan-U.S. Relations at a Crossroad
The “Okinawa problem” has emerged as a crucial bone of contention, not only between the US and Japanese governments but between the people of Okinawa and both governments.
American Base Town in Northern Japan
According to a 2006 report, 14 of the 38 most valuable large bases in the world are concentrated in Japan.
Postcard from…Takae
In the jungles of northern Okinawa, protests against planned U.S. helipads reach a crisis point.
Okinawa and the Changing U.S.-Japan Alliance
The conflict over an aging U.S. military base in Okinawa has not gone away. Rather, it illustrates the very different ideas that Washington and Tokyo have about their alliance.
Rekindling China-Japan Conflict: The Senkaku/Diaoyutai Islands Clash
On September 7 an incident occurred in which a Chinese trawler tried to shake off a Japan Coast Guard patrol boat that pursued it to investigate illegal operations at sea fifteen kilometers from Kubajima of the Senkaku Islands of Okinawa prefecture.
The US-Japan Alliance Must Evolve: The Futenma Flip-Flop, the Hatoyama Failure and the Future
In the raging currents of world history, the framework of Cold War-style “alliance diplomacy” has reached its limit.
Marines Go Home: Anti-Base Activism in Okinawa, Japan and Korea
The U.S. military’s Kooni Firing Range in the South Korean village of Maehyang-ri was closed in 2005, following a concerted effort by anti-base activists. Kageyama Asako discusses the lessons from Maehyang-re in the context of the Futenma relocation debate that is at the heart of current US-Japan conflict.
Article 9’s Global Impact
Japan is on the verge of abandoning its peace constitution. But Tokyo should think twice, for the sake of Japan, the region, and the world.
Geography is a Flavor
It is often said that Americans learn their geography only when a war prompts the TV news to display a map, with helpful arrows and starbursts to indicate ground assaults and aerial attacks amid the confusing borders and hard-to-pronounce place names.