Author: Daniel Kliman

Traveling at up to 300 kph and boasting an impeccable safety record, the Shinkansen exemplifies Japan’s technological prowess. It could also become a new frontier in the U.S. Japan partnership.

With the Obama administration committed to developing high speed rail, and the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) looking to achieve a more equal relationship with the United States, the time is ripe for bilateral cooperation on an American shinkansen. Read more…

Author: Daniel Kliman

China’s reemergence as the preeminent power in East Asia poses a seminal challenge to Japan. In navigating this challenge, Tokyo has pursued two complementary strategies: binding—enmeshing Beijing in international institutions—and hedging—consolidating alliance ties with the United States and developing new indigenous military capabilities.

Why Japan has settled on this bifurcated approach to China is an understudied topic. To shed light on Japan’s China policy, the author conducted 29 interviews in Tokyo from March to June 2009. The findings of this research trip are striking: China’s regime type plays a key role in Japan’s strategic calculus. Indeed, Beijing’s decision making process— opaque and unconstrained by checks and balances—has generated a host of negative perceptions in Tokyo. These perceptions have compelled Japan to bind and hedge. Japan’s China policy will remain unmoved by political developments in Tokyo, even with the recent electoral victory of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ).

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