U.S.-Japan Relations in a Changing World

September 2001 marked the 50th anniversary of the signing of the San Francisco Treaty, formally ending World War II.

In signing this treaty Japan fundamentally transformed its international position, placing itself in the vanguard of the Cold War bulwark against the Soviet Union, and wedding itself economically, politically and with security ties to the US.

The half century since has seen highs and lows in relations between the two countries.

This text evaluates the changing relationship between the two great powers, providing analysis on a variety of topics.

It scrutinizes the historical context, providing the reader with predictive tools for understanding events as they unfold.

Instead of looking at the US-Japan relationship one issue at a time, it examines eight specific issue-areas: the balance of power, economic preformance, foreign policy paradigms, domestic politics, the media, international organizations, finance and technology.

The book then analyses how these trends affect the relationship as a whole.