Don't Forget the Origin of the Japan-US Relationship

Could Japan-U.S. relations be entering dangerous waters? Recent remarks made by those connected to the Abe administration have shaken the foundation of our alliance with the U.S., and I’ve become deeply concerned about what may happen if the present situation continues.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Yasukuni Shrine against American objections. When the U.S. expressed “disappointment” over his actions, an aid to the prime minister hotly replied, “We are the ones who are disappointed.” Then there are the remarks made by NHK board members and director-general regarding historical accuracy. This series of events is producing unprecedented serious cracks in the foundation of the Japan-U.S. alliance.

What’s taking place now is friction over historical perception, which is entirely different than past frictions concerning trade or defense. If left as is, the foundation of our alliance is going to collapse. Political leaders should be putting immense effort into rebuilding this relationship.

There Are No Eternal Allies

Following WWII, the U.S. spearheaded the international community. Due to Japan being under the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty, our country also became a major player in the post-war world. For more than half a century, we have enjoyed peace and continual success. However, if we assumed this alliance, like water or air, would always exist, then we have been deluding ourselves.

As former British Prime Minister Lord Palmerston said, “We have no eternal allies. We have only eternal interests.” Alliances are founded on mutual interests. If those mutual interests cease to exist, then the alliance will also cease to exist.

The foundation for the Japan-U.S. alliance was laid in 1952 with the Treaty of San Francisco. Japan accepted it when Tokyo courts held class-A war criminals responsible for their crimes. We drew a line between us and pre-war Japan in order to get a fresh start; in doing so we were welcomed into the world.

Yet, the Japan-U.S. alliance is not merely a military alliance. It’s an alliance based on advancing shared democratic values, such as cultural growth and awareness of human rights. Up to this point, such an alliance has been an asset to Japanese diplomacy.

Since the Japan-U.S. alliance was founded on the events of WWII, historical perception surrounding the Pacific War serves as the foundation of the alliance. If that wavers, so will the alliance.

If those on the Japanese side are thinking, “There wouldn’t be a problem if the Republican Party was in charge” (because the Obama administration belongs to the Democratic Party), then they’re mistaken. Surely they won’t forget that the U.S. is tough on issues like human rights and historical perception no matter which political party is in power.

The thing we can’t overlook here is that, as long as the prime minister fails to clearly deny the irresponsible words and deeds of his administration, the international community will perceive them as ideas belonging to the Abe administration and Liberal Democratic Party. China’s propaganda machine could take advantage of these events to say Japan is challenging the post-war world order. Shouldn’t we quickly take measures to avoid giving them that chance?

At the same time, I’d also like to emphasize that the U.S. shares responsibility for any discord in our countries’ alliance.

Against the background of growing nationalism in Japan are China’s repeated provocations around the Senkaku Islands. Japan is not the one practicing territorial expansionism here. Nevertheless, the Obama administration doesn’t seem to recognize just how much Japan is exposed to a threat from China. While I don’t think this response from Asia’s greatest ally is intended to be cold-hearted, it’s fueling the anxiety and discontent of the Japanese people.

As far as Japan is concerned, American leadership in the post-war world was also a contradiction. There are more than a few Japanese who remember Japan’s fight against always being “demonized” and blamed for the war. Naturally, there are also people who see the atomic bombings and Tokyo air raids as unjustifiable slaughter. What this boils down to is: We can’t yet say that Japan and the U.S. have reached a true reconciliation over the war.

Put Great Effort toward Reaching Mutual Understanding

If these raw emotions left over from the war were to lead to a confrontation, it would damage the entire alliance. I want the political leaders of both countries to base their decisions and actions on the big picture, which is restoring the foundation of our alliance.

In his book “The Prince of Peace,” late political scientist Younosuke Nagai wrote, “These two great naval powers have faced off across the Pacific Ocean, and in order for them to truly come together, a great price had to be paid.” He also warned that “Unless they put great effort toward reaching some form of mutual understanding, they will be able to accomplish nothing. We must not delude ourselves into thinking that a natural state of friendship between Japan and the U.S. will always exist.” Perhaps we should take these words to heart.

In order to do that, the Abe administration should strive for the following:

It should expressly acknowledge Japan’s role in aggression and colonial rule and, with ideals grounded in contemplation of the past, demonstrate a decision to walk the road of cooperation with the rest of the world. The word “aggression” was used in the Murayama Discourse, and the expression “comfort women” in the Kono Statement of 1993. The administration should publicly state that it has no intention of trying to revise or “spin” those events, and instead look for a path to resolve previous historical conflicts with China and Korea.

It should not visit Yasukuni Shrine again, but accept responsibility for the crimes committed by Japan’s class-A war criminals. While the Japanese see visiting the shrine as a way to remember the war and those who died, we as a nation should discuss a new way to commemorate those events.

I think these measures regarding historical perception form a realistic plan for regaining the international community’s trust, strengthening the foundation of the Japan-U.S. alliance and repairing our foreign relations in Asia. Being at odds with both China and the U.S. shows that we have not learned our lesson; war with these countries led to ruin. If we clash with both of them, Japanese diplomacy will go nowhere.

In the event that the Japan-U.S. alliance enters a danger zone and Prime Minister Abe is unsure of being able to call on the right to collective defense, he is poised to rush a change in constitutional interpretation. However, those who would not try to mitigate the United States’ mistrust, which is based on a problem surrounding the very historical perception that serves as the foundation of our alliance, will only further jeopardize the relationship between Japan and the U.S.