Examining the US-Japan Alliance in a New Security Environment: Japan’s Perception of the Alliance from 2000-2010

After the Cold War, many political changes, such as the fall of the Soviet Union,
radically changed the global security environment. In response to this new environment,
the Japanese government and the United States relationship also changed. The focus of
my research is to identify how the Japanese government’s perception of the US-Japan
Alliance contributed to changes of Japan’s security policy from 2000 to 2010,
particularly how the Japanese government perceives the strength of the US-Japan
Alliance and increased security threats such as the rise of China, terrorism, and a nuclear
armed North Korea. To this end, I analyze primary source documents published by the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and recorded mentions of security issues and the
US-Japan Alliance from 2000-2010. By examining the relationship between perception
and policy, I hope to better understand how it affects the US-Japan alliance and Japanese
security policy in the future.