It is in Japan's interests to fundamentally shift its foreign policy posture so as to become less dependent on, and less subordinate to, the United States. Japan would be better off if it were to become a more independent "normal" nation. That thesis represents a conclusion reached as a consequence of reviewing a body of political-science literature that indicates the potential for Japan to become increasingly independent of US power and that suggests more obvious Japanese independence can serve both Japan and the US well.
In recent years, it has been asserted in the literature that Japan ought to "come into its own" on a more aggressive basis than has been the case since World War II. For example, ` makes a case for the idea that a thoroughly independent and strong Japan "is in America's best interests" (39), even though there is a possibility that Japan may reconfigure its geopolitical interests or even pursue foreign alliances inside Asia that to some degree eliminate the need or desire for US influence. Helweg's rationale is that it is only in the context of independence from US support that Japan's major institutions, whether political or corporate, can test the integrity of its real strengths. This involves institutional and cultural change. However, the consensus seems to be that Japan has avoided the prospect of change. That has led to a dire prediction of the future of Japan's ability to affect beneficial results in the country. The problem, basically, is perceived as being that Japan has ignored the impulses for change, and "waiting until the last moment to change has only narrowed their [Japanese institutions tied to traditions] avenues of escape" (Helweg 37).
Green argues that American protectiveness of Japan's political system during the Cold War had the effect of insulating Japan from the realities of geopolitical responsibility in a perilous international arena. At the same time, that insulation could have been per...