U.S.-Japan Alliance

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said this week that Japan would be "on the front lines of any contingency we might face in the western Pacific."

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.

Given South Korea’s heavy reliance on the U.S. military presence for its own security, the reconstitution of USFJ may necessitate a reassessment of Seoul’s strategic posture and defense planning.

Japan will need another international statesman as prime minister. The jury is out as to whether Kishida’s successor, whomever that may be, will meet this high bar. 

As the alliance marks “one of the strongest improvements in 70 years,” there are concerns that this will position Japan as the front line in U.S. strategy to deter China.

While much of the recent analytical focus has been on its role in a crisis, disinformation can have pernicious, real-world effects in peacetime. 

Unless corrective measures are made, and quickly, the anti-U.S. military base sentiment and movement in Okinawa will grow, damaging Japan-U.S. cooperation at a crucial time.

Insights from Naoko Aoki.

New security and military arrangements will have knock-on effects for both Japan and South Korea, their respective U.S. forces, and the regional security architecture.

During his state visit, Kishida was unusually blunt about the dangers current trends in U.S. politics pose to the alliance.

The integration of command-and-control authorities of Japanese and U.S. forces in an emergency remains a critical issue, especially on the U.S. side.

The U.S. president praised Japan's growing international clout as the two leaders cemented new areas of cooperation.

Japan may not be an immediate problem for the U.S., but our relationship will become a problem if we do not invest in it and the professionals required to foster future cooperation.