A Fresh Start for Japan and the US?

At noon on Jan. 7 — early morning on Jan. 8 in Japan — Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida met with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Washington. The goal of their conference was to tackle important issues like the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations and the strengthening of the Japan-U.S. alliance. There was also the issue of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to Yasukuni Shrine late last year, which cast a dark shadow over attempts to restore strained Japan-U.S. relations. At the same time, the American side urged improvement to the relationship between Japan and Korea, and the itinerary for President Obama’s visit to Japan suggests that we may not have moved toward restoring a relationship of mutual trust.

“In terms of Japan-Korea relations, how will Japan proceed?” Secretary Kerry pressed Minister Kishida to make a serious effort toward improving the Japan-Korea relationship. Though Minister Kishida answered, “We are tenaciously working on it,” it is apparent that action, such as requesting face-to-face talks between top-level leaders, is not being taken outside the realm of abstract theory.*

The purpose of Minister Kishida’s visit to the U.S. was to restore the trajectory of Japan-U.S. relations, which had cooled due to Prime Minister Abe’s visit to Yasukuni Shrine. He also sought to solidify plans for Obama to visit Japan in two months, a visit for which the Japanese side had been lobbying. However, in response to Minister Kishida’s appeal for the president to visit Japan as a state guest, Secretary Kerry said, “We are continuing to work on it.” Following that conversation, presidential aide Susan Rice, national security adviser, also said, with some finality, “We are adjusting the schedule.”*

More than two nights are needed when staying as a state guest, and at first, this appeared to be feasible. However, the situation has now become more complicated. According to a diplomatic source, “The Korean government has strongly appealed to the American government to visit Korea, saying, ‘If you go to Japan without also coming to Korea, you’ll appear to be sending the message that you approve of Prime Minister Abe’s visit to Yasukuni Shrine.’”** In addition to the original three countries — the Philippines, Malaysia and Japan — it has become impossible to avoid considering a visit to Korea, and it is increasingly likely that Obama’s time in Japan will be shortened.

During the talks between Kishida and Kerry, they also discussed the relocation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma (Okinawa prefecture, Ginowan City) including an assessment of Okinawa prefecture’s approved landfill application. In terms of not accepting China’s unilaterally established air defense identification zone, which is “an attempt to alter the present status quo,” there was something of a confirmation that the two countries plan to work together to address the matter. There were definite results in reaffirming the importance of a Japan-U.S. alliance.

The Abe administration hopes to steadily accomplish a number of things through such profitable meetings. They aim to strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance by restoring trust on the American side, conclude TPP negotiations between Japan and the U.S., approve exercising the right to collective defense, and implement revisions to the two countries’ cooperative defense guidelines.

Yet, the prime minister’s visit to Yasukuni Shrine never came up in conversation. Since the Yasukuni visit, this issue of historical perception has been like a dark cloud hanging over otherwise practical talks. No suggestion was made for filling this gap. The prime minister visited Yasukuni against the wishes of the American side, and their response to China’s marine advance and North Korea’s nuclear development — “many Americans feel that now is the time to be thinking strategically,” former U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy said — shows that the “disappointment” they expressed toward him is not insignificant. As far as Japan is concerned, it appears that in order to strengthen a relationship of mutual trust with the U.S., we will need to take concrete steps toward better relationships with China and Korea.

* Editor’s Note: The author has paraphrased statements made by U.S. and Japanese officials.

** Editor’s Note: This quote, accurately translated, could not be verified.