The Modalities of the Japan-US Security Relationship in the Post Cold War Era: Problems and Prospects in the Next Decade

Abstract

Is the Japan-U.S. alliance changing its mission in accordance with the end of the Cold War? During the harsh confrontation of East and West, the bilateral security relationship between Japan and the United States played an important role in containing Soviet expansion in Northeast Asia. During the Gulf War, Japan contributed nearly $14 billion in financial support to the coalition forces. Nevertheless, Japan gained a negative reputation in the international community for not providing military support as well. At about the same time, the honeymoon stage of the Japan-U.S. relationship began shifting to a more competitive stage with regard to the nations' economic interests. Most of the Japanese public seem to understand the importance of the alliance. However, they do not realize that the nearly 50,000 American soldiers stationed in Japan are critical for its security. Politically, there is evidence of instability. The cabinet of the Liberal Democratic Party, which had been the ruling conservative party for 38 years, collapsed in August 1993. Since then, the coalitions of ruling parties have frequently changed. In the economic sphere, Japan suffers various problems, primarily due to the after-effects of the crash of the so-called "Bubble economy." In the national security arena, the historic changes brought about by the end of the Cold War have posed questions about the direction Japan's security should take, particularly with regard to its defense capability and the modality of that capability. This paper will examine the Japan-U.S. bilateral security relationship in the post-Cold War era in terms of its history, Japan's evolving defense policy, domestic factors on both sides that could affect the relationship, and the Asia-Pacific security environment.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1996
Accession Number
ADA529461

Entities

Organizations

  • Marine Corps University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Cold War
  • Governments
  • Intergovernmental Organizations
  • International Law
  • International Organizations
  • International Relations
  • Market Economy
  • Military Science
  • National Governments
  • National Politics
  • National Security
  • Second World War
  • Security
  • Southeast Asia
  • Treaties
  • United States
  • War Colleges

Fields of Study

  • Political science

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  • Educational Psychology
  • International Relations and Conflict Resolution
  • International Relations and European Studies