U.S.-Japan Relations: A Global Partnership “In Preparation”

There have been many misperceptions between the U.S. and Japan in thier understanding and projection of their global partnership for the last decade. Based on a historical study of the global partnership between the two countries since 1990, this paper anayzes the most recent developments and the gap in perception between the two countries on the issue of a global partnership and the prospects for this bilateral relationship as well as for sharing global responsibilities. Without revisiting the discussion of ‘clash of civilization’ or ‘Asian destiny,’ this study will only try to examine the U.S.-Japan bilateral relationship from the perspective of each other?s expectations and frustrations. The first section will discuss the historical trends and problems of the global partnership between the U.S. and Japan since 1990. The following three sections will discuss current political, economic, and security issues within the framework of the global partnership