Japan-U.S. Relations

It seems that the more positive attitude of the Obama administration toward Japan is real. Following Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s choice of Japan as the first country for her to visit, Obama invited Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso as the first head of state to visit the White House since he took office.

A meeting between Clinton and Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone resulted in a decision to tour the U.S. This is a message from the Obama administration to position Japan as “a cornerstone of American policy in Asia.”

Judging from America’s current interests, one urgent task is to borrow Japan’s power to resolve the global crisis. In addition to that, a list of missions on which the U.S. and Japan have to cooperate closely range from stabilizing security in Iraq and Afghanistan to nuclear weapons and missiles of North Korea, China’s military expansion and global warming.

It is worth acknowledging that the meeting was set forth shortly. We want Aso to thoroughly discuss the role for Japan to fulfill in the international community, as well as the relationship with the new U.S. administration.

But, there is one thing we should not misunderstand. When the U.S. says it will regard Japan well, that does not mean that it will please and cherish us as one can imagine from “regard” in Japanese.

A hard-boiled side of the American character is that it will also utilize Japan for America’s gain and strategy. What is being asked is what Japan has got to say to the U.S. Having a meeting cannot be an objective per se.

Let us picture something from America’s standpoint. The Obama administration is trying to revive the U.S. and the world. At such a critical moment, the approval rating for a cabinet of Japan, which is an important ally of the U.S., have reached some 10% and will have a general election. Will agreements made under the Aso cabinet be really carried out? It is no surprise that the U.S. counterpart is upset. Secretary Clinton met Ozawa, an opposition leader of the Democratic Party of Japan, apparently anticipating a possibility of a change of government.

During this visit, the two sides sealed an agreement on moving the U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam, which needs to be ratified in the parliament. It would be still-binding in case of the Democrat administration in Japan.

What one should not forget is that the deal comes along with relocating the Marine station in Futenma to the Henoko district of Okinawa. The Aso cabinet does not seem eager to grapple with the U.S. basement issue in Okinawa seriously. The problem would not move forward unless it promotes dialogue among the local population.

On Afghanistan, where the Obama administration has promised to deploy more troops, what can Japan contribute there? The Aso cabinet should supposedly have been examining Japan’s role with the opposition parties, yet it no longer holds that much power.

A weak cabinet tends to save face by compromises in diplomatic negotiations. After all, a strong foundation in the internal politics is the very thing that makes good foreign policy.