Japan is a critical treaty ally of the United States. It hosts dozens of U.S. military bases and approximately tens of thousand U.S. military personnel, which help provide security and stability in Asia.
How did Japan rank in the Index of Economic Freedom? Click here to find out. Read More.
Attempts by the new Japanese government to renegotiate terms of the Guam Agreement, which would realign U.S. military forces in Japan, have seriously strained U.S.-Japan relations. Read More.
This Friday, President Obama will welcome recently elected Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe to the White House. Abe will be the first major foreign dignitary to visit Mr. Obama in his second term — but it will not be his first trip to the Oval Office. In April of 2007, during the first of Abe’s two non-contiguous terms in office, he called on President George W.…
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will meet with President Obama on February 22 to affirm the bilateral alliance and align policies responding to recent North Korean and Chinese aggression. Since Abe has been in office for only two months, no tangible summit achievements (“deliverables,” in diplomatic parlance) are expected. But President Obama should use the opportunity…
Two recent speeches by new Chinese leader Xi Jinping have attracted attention, providing the first insights into the views of China’s new leadership. One is focused on China’s internal political situation; the other discusses Chinese foreign policy. In combination, they could indicate the direction of Chinese policy for the next 10 years of Xi Jinping’s tenure as senior…
There are no permanent victories in democratic politics and no permanent defeats. Thus, even as conservatives in the United States are working to find better ways to present our ideas in the 2014 and 2016 elections, we should pause a moment to celebrate some successes overseas. The results of last month’s elections in South Korea and Japan show the two nations recognize…
Abstract: On December 16, the Japanese people will once again have an opportunity to reshape their nation’s political landscape. To many, such reform seemed imminent three years ago, when the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) swept into power. Yet the DPJ was unable to turn campaign promises into concrete reforms, and as a result, the Japanese public’s desire for political…
Abstract: Greater military and political cooperation between South Korea and Japan would protect South Korean, Japanese, and U.S. national interests in Asia. The growing North Korean and Chinese security threats to the region have motivated South Korea and Japan to cooperate more, but historical animosities and recent diplomatic missteps have constrained bilateral…
Abstract: Since the 19th century, Asia has been—and will continue to be—a region of vital importance to the United States. And yet, even as the threats to stability in Asia multiply, there has not been a commensurate increase of U.S. capabilities. While the Obama Administration believes its “Asia Pivot” will animate U.S. policy toward Asia, the U.S. military lacks the…
America’s Enduring Leadership in Asia America has been engaged in Asia since a few decades after securing its independence. Its early interest is documented in the 1833 Treaty on Amity and Commerce between the U.S. and the Kingdom of Siam Thailand), and later in the market-opening 1854 Treaty of Kanagawa with Japan. The U.S. has, in fact, been a “resident…
Executive Summary To assess the Japanese experience, The Heritage Foundation reassembled a team of experts to evaluate Japan’s long-term efforts to recover from the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and to prepare for future catastrophes. Based on extensive literature and interviews with Japanese officials and experts, the team identified four critical areas that affect…
デレク シザーズ 横江 公美 日本の“失われた１０年”は２０年目に突入する。そして、ここ数年は、膨大な公的負債と景気の停滞はアメリカもEUも抱える問題となっている。先にこの問題を経験する日本が解決への道を見出すことができるなら、同様の状況に悩む他国に対する青写真となったはずである。 残念ながら、そのような進展はいまだ見当たらない。他の多くの国々が現在直面しているように、日本は債務削減にあたり政治的障害に直面している。反証があるにもかかわらず、超過歳出が経済を活性化させるという確信がいまだ根強く広がっている。日本だけではなく回復を望む国々は、財政政策を施行するにあたって、この考えを払拭しなければならない。 …
Executive Summary The massive earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in March 2011, and the following release of radiation from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station, represent one of the greatest disasters to strike the nation of Japan in recent memory. An initial assessment of the Japanese response in four critical areas suggests important lessons for…
This report is available in Japanese. Click here to read. Abstract: Due to the accidents at the Fukushima nuclear plant in March 2011, the Japanese government is re-evaluating its commitment to nuclear energy. Japan’s apprehension about nuclear power is understandable, but closing nuclear plants or rejecting future construction would create substantial—and…
The United States is no less a Pacific nation than an Atlantic one. The state of Hawaii and the territories of Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa all lie in the Pacific. The United States has five treaty alliances in East Asia (Japan, Korea, Australia, the Philippines and Thailand), the Pacific Fleet, and major military bases throughout the region. It has…
Initial assessments of Japan's response to the 3/11 disasters were positive. Tokyo appeared to have responded quickly and efficiently to the combined earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear catastrophes. The government established an emergency response team headed by the prime minister, coordinated over 300 organizations providing disaster relief, and quickly ordered deployment…
The global financial crisis has had a major impact on perceptions of American power and its relationships in Asia. Many of the perceptions are not founded on facts. Among the facts often overlooked: American companies invest far more abroad than does all of Asia combined. For every dollar the U.S. has invested in China it has invested two in Australia…
Abstract: Japan’s “lost decade” has turned into two; and Japan is not alone. Staggering amounts of public debt and stagnant economies have become a problem from the EU to the U.S. Despite twenty years of evidence to the contrary, the belief persists that deficit spending stimulates the economy. In Japan’s case, a low return on capital from massive, low-yield government…
On February 8, the United States and Japan jointly announced changes to the existing bilateral accord for realigning U.S. Marines on Okinawa. While both sides affirmed commitment to relocating a Marine air unit on the island, more significantly, the Obama Administration abandoned longstanding U.S. insistence that Japan fulfill pre-conditional commitments prior to…
Amidst all the regional concerns about North Korea, the Senkaku dispute between China and Japan has continued to...…
The Japanese press today announced that Tokyo and Taipei had reached an accord on fishing rights around the disputed...…
1. Does North Korea have nuclear weapons? North Korea conducted its third nuclear weapons test in February in...…
Japanese telecommunications company Softbank wants to buy Sprint Nextel for about $20 billion. One barrier to the deal...…
A Chinese naval task force, including its most modern amphibious ship, a guided-missile destroyer, and two frigates,...…
The government picking winners and losers is bad for any economy. But it also often leads to the opposite of the...…
A recent news report was headlined: “Lawmakers, business groups balk at trade deal with protectionist Japan.” A more...…
Fostering the U.S.-Taiwan relationship is vital to U.S. relations with many of its allies in the Asia-Pacific region...…
Japanese gross domestic product (GDP) fell for the third straight quarter (October–December) and was essentially flat...…
Over the past year, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has been increasingly assertive regarding its various...…
Senior Research Fellow, Northeast Asia
Senior Research Fellow
Senior Visiting Fellow, Japan