The United States and Japan have been friendly since the aftermath of World War II, after which the U.S. committed around $38 billion (in 2024 dollars) to help rebuild its former enemy. Today, especially in light of the growing military threat from neighboring China, Japan is increasingly aligned with Western security alliances like AUKUS and NATO.
Straight Arrow News contributor Peter Zeihan critiques Japanese attitudes toward the military and argues that these attitudes must evolve in order for the Japanese to play a meaningful role in Western alliances. Zeihan maintains that the U.S. and Japan will remain allies regardless, but asserts that the Japanese must grow beyond their culture of post-war pacifism to prepare for today’s resurgent military threats.
Below is an excerpt from Peter’s May 8 “Zeihan on Geopolitics” newsletter:
The Japanese have looked into their crystal ball and figured out that a close relationship with the Americans is the only way forward. Before Japan is welcomed in with open arms, they’ll have to prove their worth…
Between trade issues, economic challenges, and demographic crisis, it makes sense that Japan wants to join the AUKUS group (a defense focused coalition made up of the U.S., the U.K., and Australia).
Japan has some big changes to make. While their naval capabilities are solid, they have to make the cultural and political shift toward taking a more active role for themselves and their region. They also lack real world combat experience and have plenty of cybersecurity concerns to overcome. I wouldn’t expect to see the green light anytime soon, but eventual collaboration looks to be in the cards.