Allies of Japan

Japan is the world's second-largest economy, and therefore one of the most important countries in the world. It is firmly embedded in the group of mutually supportive western industrialized democracies. However, despite this, it is strictly speaking only militarily allied with the United States. Japanese ties with the rest of the world are economic, cultural and political in nature. It is a country with many friends, but only one ally in the classic sense.

History

Japan was an isolationist country for much of its history. After the Meiji Restoration of 1866, the Japanese entered into international politics. In the late 19th century, it entered into a naval alliance with Great Britain. This alliance was an exercise in burden sharing: the Japanese received British naval expertise and technology in exchange for the Japanese protecting British interests in the Pacific, allowing the Royal Navy to concentrate against the growing German navy in Western waters. Japanese aggression in China in the 1930s and changing realities in Europe led to the collapse of the British relationship, followed by the Axis Pact in 1940, which allied Japan to Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. That alliance held until the defeat of the Axis in 1945.

Significance

Toda, Japan is the world's second-largest economy, and is home to a highly advanced technological society. It's military and economic importance in both East Asia and the world make it one of the most important nation-states in the international system. They are in the first rank of the countries comprising the world's industrialized democracies, a group of friendly and broadly allied states. This is best symbolized by Japan's membership in the G7.

Function

Following the Second World War, Japan was rebuilt under American auspices. Japan was disarmed for a time, but under Cold War pressures Japan re-armed and signed the Mutual Security Assistance Pact with the United States. This effectively made the Japanese a dependent ally of the United States, with American military installations on Japanese soil. While the Japanese do not tolerate the presence of nuclear weapons or nuclear-powered warships (fallout from the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings), the United States in the single most important ally of Japan, and pledged to defend them up to and including the use of nuclear weapons.

Benefits

Japan also enjoys excellent relations with the European Union and Canada. These countries could also be considered Japanese allies, although the relationship is primarily economic rather than military. There is a network of treaties and memberships in international organizations binding them all together, as well as shared values and economic interests. However, there are no military treaties binding Canada or any EU member to Japan, although there is little doubt that Europe and Canada would align with Japan in the event of serious trouble.

Potential

Japan has generally good relations with Australia, South Korea, and some of the countries of Southeast Asia. However, these relations could be considered better, and it would be a stretch to consider them Japanese allies. Although South Korea and Australia are part of the group of Western industrialized democracies, memories of Japanese atrocities during the Second World War continue in these countries, and are not helped by Japan's distinctly ambivalent and obfuscatory attitude towards their wartime record.