Japan, the US Alliance and Asia

Japan's security policy has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past decade, from the reforms of the Koizumi administration to the tumult of the current Kan government. The debates during this period have been focused on an overriding policy dilemma: how to balance the tensions between Japan's increasingly important relations with Asia and its long-standing alliance with the United States. Much of Japan's security discourse over this period, however, has been characterized by confusion and self-defeating paralysis. Unless Japan can come to terms with its middle-power status, it will continue to struggle with these tensions and remain vulnerable to irrational swings between bilateral and regional aspirations.