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

INTRODUCTION • 23
forces in Japan, but it did not specifically oblige the U.S. to defend
Japan or to consult with it over military operations. Second, the treaty
allowed the American military forces to repress domestic rioting, a potential
violation of Japan’s sovereignty. In 1960, a new U.S.–Japan Security
Treaty was concluded that abrogated the United States’ right to
intervene in domestic rioting and specified that the United States assumed
official responsibility for Japan’s defense. In turn, Japan was obligated
to protect U.S. installations in Japan if they were attacked.
Japan did not become directly involved in the Vietnam War, but as a
dependable ally of the United States, it made significant contributions
and reaped enormous economic benefits. Okinawa became a base for
B-52s and a training base for U.S. Marines. The United States used its
bases on mainland Japan for logistics, supplies, training, and rest and
recreation. Withdrawal from Vietnam encouraged the United States to
promote closer military cooperation with Japan. In November 1978, the
United States and Japan began to review various aspects of military cooperation,
such as emergency defense legislation and logistic support.
THE 1990s AND AFTERWARD: ECONOMIC FIELD
The Cold War structure and America’s preeminence in the world
brought stability to post–World War II U.S.–Japanese relations. The
Cold War caused Japan to depend on the United States strategically, and
U.S. hegemony brought both military protection and economic wellbeing
to Japan. However, the decline of U.S. economic and military
hegemony after the late 1960s and the end of the Cold War in the early
1990s undermined the basis of stability in the countries’ relations.
During the 1990s, the U.S. economy revived, primarily because of
the information technology (IT) revolution and to the rapid development
of IT-related industries, while Japan began a decade-long era of
deep political and economic turmoil. In July 1993, the Japanese Liberal
Democratic Party, the long-term ruling party, lost its majority in
the Diet, ending its 38-year control of Japanese politics. A series of
weak coalition governments followed, none bringing political stability,
which exacerbated Japan’s economic recession. Economic crises in
Southeast Asian countries in 1997 further aggravated Japanese economic
conditions.