Abstract
Abe has strongly promoted US-Japan alliance cooperation and the US ‘rebalance’ towards the Asia-Pacific. The first initiative has been the revision of the US-Japan Defence Guidelines, characterised by a new Japanese willingness to integrate national security policy and changes to the exercise of collective self-defence with US military strategy, to expand the scope of JSDF despatch geographically within East Asia and globally and functionally to include combat operations. The second initiative has been the relocation of the Futenma air station within Okinawa, and the third Japan’s active participation in the TPP. However, US-Japan relations have experienced mixed fortunes as domestic opposition has slowed Futenma relocation and TPP negotiations, and as the US has become wary of Abe’s historical revisionism and the risks of its own entrapment.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Notes
The scope of the Far East and the range of action of the US-Japan security treaty were defined in National Diet interpellations by Prime Minister Kishi in February 1960. Asagumo Shimbunsha, Bōei Handobukk?, Tokyo, Asagumo Shimbunsha, 2001, pp. 619–20.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Kishida, Minister for Defence Onodera, Secretary of State Kerry, Secretary of Defence Hagel, ‘Joint Statement of the Security Consultative Committee: Toward a more robust alliance and greater shared responsibilities’, 3 October 2013, http://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/files/000016028.pdf.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Japan, ‘Interim Report on the Revision of the Guidelines for Japan-US Defense Cooperation’, 8 October 2014, http://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/files/000055169.pdf, p. 3.
Christopher W. Hughes, ‘The Democratic Party of Japan’s new (but failing) grand security strategy: from “resentful realism’” to “reluctant realism”’, Journal of Japanese Studie?, vol. 38, no. 1, 2012, pp. 118–21.
Peter Ennis, ‘For Abe, talks with Obama came down to “take what you can get”’, Dispatch Japa?, 26 February 2013, http://www.dispatchjapan.com/blog/2013/02/for-abe-talks-with-obama-came-down-to-take-what-you-canget.html;
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Japan, ‘Joint Statement by the United States and Japan’, 22 February 2013, http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/n-america/us/pmv_1302/pdfs/20130222_01.pdf.
Office of the Press Secretary White House, ‘Joint press conference with President Obama and Prime Minister Abe of Japan’, 24 April 2014, http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/04/24/joint-press-conferencepresident-obama-and-prime-minister-abe-japan.
US Department of State, ‘Daily press briefing’, 16 May 2013, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2013/05/209511.htm#JAPAN.
Embassy of the United States, Tokyo, Japan, ‘Statement on Prime Minister Abe’s December 26 visit to Yasukuni Shrine’, 26 December 2013, http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/p/tp-20131226-01.html.
US Department of State, ‘Daily press briefing’, 10 March 2014, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2014/03/223197.htm#JAPAN.
Thomas U. Berger, War, Guilt and World Politics After World War I?, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2012, p. 221.
Thomas U. Berger, ‘Abe’s perilous patriotism: why Japan’s new nationalism still creates problems for the region and the US-Japan alliance’, A Japan Chair Special Edition Platfor?, CSIS, October 2014, http://csis.org/files/publication/141003_Berger_AbePerilousPatriotism_Web.pdf, p. 11.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2015 Christopher W. Hughes
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Hughes, C.W. (2015). The ‘Abe Doctrine’ and US-Japan Alliance Relations. In: Japan’s Foreign and Security Policy Under the ‘Abe Doctrine’: New Dynamism or New Dead End?. Palgrave Pivot, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137514257_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137514257_4
Publisher Name: Palgrave Pivot, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-50636-1
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-51425-7
eBook Packages: Palgrave Intern. Relations & Development CollectionPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)