On April 27, the stately Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City was the venue for a historic event.  Here, the U.S. and Japan put forward a revised set of Guidelines to enhance the future of the alliance.

The product of almost two years of collaboration, the newly revised Guidelines for U.S.-Japan Defense Cooperation update the U.S.-Japan relationship, provide for more integration, and prepare for the new challenges in the region as well as in space and cyber domains.

The new  Guidelines focus on facing threats to Japan’s survival and on reacting within international law, the UN Charter,  and existing legislation, while giving priority to diplomacy and respect of sovereignty.  It also clarifies support of the U.S. and Japan to third countries under threat –as long as they are vital to Japanese security- upon consultation with the nation and in full respect of that nation’s sovereignty.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter hosted Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Funio Kishida and Defense Minister Gen Nakatani as they released the revised “Guidelines for U.S. – Japan Defense Cooperation.” 

These first Guidelines were published in 1978 and were oriented towards the Cold War era.  They were first revised in 1997 to make them conform to the post-Cold War age.

Since then, new security concerns have emerged.  These include increased provocation from North Korea and its ballistic missile threat, the wider geographic spread of terrorism, challenges to the existing international set of norms and rules, and the appearance of space and cyberspace as operational domains with security implications. 

The updated Guidelines enhance U.S. - Japan defense cooperation.  They create a standing Alliance Coordination Mechanism, deepen operational coordination, and strengthen the bilateral planning process.

The Guidelines improve the ability of the two countries militaries to work together by reinforcing, for example, their abilities to communicate, coordinate, benefit from common procedures and equipment, and defend from ballistic missile and aerial incursion threats.

The Guidelines also highlight the close cooperation among Allies.  Japan and the U.S. are strong democracies brought together by their adherence to the rule of law, international procedures, and the U.N. charter. 

However, it was not always this way; throughout the first half of the 20^th century, the U.S. and Japan competed as rivals and eventually as adversaries through the tragedy of World War Two.  The aftermath has seen a close and effective relationship where history has been overcome to create new milestones, a new environment, and a reality of cooperation and 70 years of a history of peace and prosperity.

On April 7, 2015 the Pew Research Center released the results of polling carried out in the U.S. and Japan titled: “Americans, Japanese: Mutual Respect 70 Years After the End of WWII.”  The poll shows that after being adversaries in World War Two, strong economic competition in the 1980’s and early 90’s, “Americans and Japanese nonetheless share a deep mutual respect.”

Populations in both countries were asked whether they could trust the U.S. / Japan a great deal/fair amount.  In the U.S. 68% of the population agreed while in Japan the number was even higher at 75%.  

The updated Guidelines are built on this basis of trust.  The document emphasizes the defensive nature of all Japanese military actions which to take place must meet strict restrictive conditions.

Primary among these is that responses will be to clear threats to the Japanese state or the liberty of its people, there is no other way to repel the threat, and the force is limited to the minimum necessary.

Security activity abroad is focused on building the ability of friendly nations to deal with security issues by providing training and equipment, sharing information, and other support as agreed upon consultation and in full respect of sovereignty.

The Guidelines also allow Japan and the U.S. to coordinate to help other nations.  This cooperation with partners provides a foundation for peace, security, stability, and prosperity.  Helping other nations’ defense organizations, in turn, bolsters the security of the U.S. and Japan. 

Areas of support to other nations include Peace Keeping Operations, Counter-piracy, maritime security, Humanitarian Assistance, military medicine, and the improvement of defense institutions.

The Guidelines also call for the promotion and improvement of trilateral and multilateral security cooperation and the search for opportunities to cooperate with other partners and organizations.

Space and cyber space also feature prominently in the new Guidelines.  In these areas, each country pledges to help each other protect key infrastructure, address emerging threats and ensure the resiliency of Space and Cyber systems through the sharing of information, best practices, training and education.

The U.S. – Japan alliance is very important to the peace and security of the Asia – Pacific region.  Buttressed by shared interests and values, the new Guidelines enhance and modernize the Alliance while more closely integrating the defense policies of the U.S. and Japan into even closer cooperation and coordination.

The Guidelines specify the strictly defensive nature of Japanese military action to counter threats to its survival or liberty and acknowledge strong constraints upon Japanese use of force while highlighting the primordial indispensable role of diplomacy in all international interaction.

Furthermore, they allow for Japan to be a provider of security by helping like-minded nations to improve their security posture and ensuring Japanese assistance to U.S. defense activity in the region.  As the Guidelines themselves state:  “In an increasingly interconnected world, the U.S. and Japan will take a leading role in cooperation with partners to provide a foundation for peace, security, stability, and economic prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.”