Japan’s Stronger Role

When Japan’s Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi lands in Los Angeles today--a bow to strong and growing economic ties with California--he will be carrying onward to Washington a set of new laws designed to strengthen the security alliance between the two countries. The defense guidelines established by Tokyo represent a small but potentially significant change in Japan’s attitude toward its role in the defense of its neighborhood.

Few contentious issues are expected to be addressed in the visit. The slim agenda that Obuchi will take up with President Clinton is a welcome change from the recent past, when trade wars and bickering over economic policies dominated bilateral discussions.

The guidelines for U.S.-Japan defense cooperation will not radically alter the alliance, anchored in a 1952 treaty. Japan’s Self-Defense Forces are constitutionally allowed only to defend Japan. They will not be standing side by side with U.S. soldiers fighting anywhere in the region. But they will be able to provide valuable backup to U.S. forces defending “areas surrounding Japan.” That backing could include rear-area transport, medical and communications support and search-and-rescue missions in noncombat areas.

This will not satisfy those who believe that Japan should play a more active role in defending its region. But such a role would require changing the country’s “no war” constitution, a revision that few Japanese voters would support. The U.S. attitude about the changes in the U.S.-Japan defense alliance will, therefore, depend primarily on how Tokyo implements the new guidelines.

The Clinton administration is heading in the right direction in addressing Japan’s main security concern, the belligerence of North Korea. Pyongyang stunned Tokyo last summer when it launched a two-stage missile over Japanese territory, demonstrating that it has the potential to strike targets virtually anywhere in Japan.

Japan is not a party to the quadrilateral negotiations with Pyongyang aimed at easing tensions on the Korean peninsula. But, to bring Japan as close to the talks as possible, the United States and South Korea agreed last week to set up a coordination and oversight group with Tokyo. Institutionalizing the consultation process will go some distance toward addressing Japan’s security concerns.

On the economic front, Obuchi will be looking for Clinton’s recognition of the efforts his government has made in trying to revitalize Japan’s moribund economy. He deserves that acknowledgment but will be reminded that Japan must be more aggressive in addressing its structural problems. The economy is still shrinking, the banking system is laden with bad loans and deregulation has just begun. With so few contentious issues on the agenda, the summit should put the main focus on strengthening the alliance’s effort to bolster its security goals.