U.S.-Japan Alliance

Lessons from the 1925 Locarno Treaties for the contemporary security dynamics of the U.S., South Korea, and Japan.

Opposition parties are calling for Japan to join forces with European countries that have expressed solidarity with Ukraine, but PM Ishiba has maintained a neutral stance.

Japan and South Korea are at their most fragile political states in decades – just as Trump’s return to the White House disrupts an already-changing global order.

The Ishiba-Trump summit symbolized the stability of the Japan-U.S. relationship under a disruptive U.S. president.

Three things to watch at the first Japan-U.S. summit under both leaders.

Any direct deterrent contribution – meaning participation in high-end military operations – will arguably stem from these long-standing and increasingly united U.S. allies.

Accusations that Japan is free-riding on U.S. security guarantees overlook the immense strategic and geographical value of U.S. military bases in Japan, including Okinawa and Yokosuka.

China is the biggest factor behind the continued development of the U.S. alliance network – a trend that works independently of, and supersedes, any political dynamics in Washington.

The Japanese prime minister’s call for an Asian NATO is farfetched – and risks alienating key Indo-Pacific stakeholders, including India and ASEAN. 

A former defense minister, Ishiba's victory will have important implications for the future of Japan-Taiwan relations.

Japan’s new prime minister has long called for more reciprocity in the alliance, including revisions in the Status of Forces Agreement and Japan-U.S. Security Treaty.

The election of late Prime Minister Abe Shinzo’s long-time rival marks the end of an era in the LDP.