Historical Dictionary of United States-Japan ... - Bakumatsu Films

2 • INTRODUCTION
Geographically, the United States is 25 times the size of Japan.
Japan is about the same size as the state of Montana. This does not
mean Japan is a “small” nation in size; it means the United States is unusually
large. Only the nations of Russia, Canada, and China are geographically
larger than the United States. By way of international comparison,
Japan is geographically larger than the countries of England,
Germany, Italy, or both Koreas. As of 2004, the population of the
United States was more than 280 million, and for the last hundred
years has been approximately twice the size of Japan’s population.
Nevertheless, Japan’s current population of nearly 130 million is
greater than the populations of France, England, Germany, or Mexico.
Japan’s geography and population are “small” in comparison to the
United States, but compared to most of the world’s nations, Japan’s geographic
territory and its population are relatively large.
There are five themes to consider while examining the historical relationship
between Japan and the United States. First, since the 1850s,
Japan has tried to maintain a stabilizing balance between the dichotomy
of “Japanese spirit, Western learning.” This is both a philosophical and
practical approach to adapting, adopting, and sometimes rejecting Western
standards and institutions while simultaneously maintaining Japan’s
historic and cultural East Asian heritage. Second, since the 1850s the
United States has maintained a vision of “Manifest Destiny.” After expanding
its territory on the North American continent, the United States
has sought to expand its political, economic, and cultural influence
throughout the globe. Third, there is a continuing struggle to reconcile
the political and economic relationship between Japan and the United
States. This struggle sometimes erupts into serious clashes, including
racially motivated discrimination and especially the bitter Pacific War
between 1941 and 1945. Fourth, the political and economic struggle between
the United States and Japan often involves the relationship each
country has with China. Finally, despite the differences between Japan
and the United States indicated above, Japanese and American people
as individuals have often maintained an amicable relationship for most
of the past 150 years. Politicians, “patriotic” organizations, novelists,
and media commentators sometimes hurl jingoist “Japan bashing” or
“America bashing” denunciations, particularly during periods of economic
and political tensions. Yet, many Japanese and Americans display
mutual understanding, friendship, and significant interest in the
history, culture, language, and society of one another’s country.