Japan's isolationist stance and its government protected trade is leaving it with few friends these days. Its the thought that counts. They also support the U.S. position in the U.N. more faithfully than any other country, including Canada. When the U.S. came passing the hat for the Gulf War, Japan was second only to Saudi Arabia in monetary contributions. While the middle east is an important source of oil to Japan, it is more important to the EC countries who played a lesser role in paying for the Gulf War.
Japan also pays a signifigant part of the defense costs here.
That's why the U.S. military can afford to base men and ships here for less than it costs them to do it in North Carolina. What is happening in the Japanese mind is that the U.S. wants Japan to pay the bills, provide the bases and the civilian entertainment for the troops, but the U.S. can't be depended on to provide the security end of the bargain because relations with China have become more important to the Clinton Administration. A Bush administration will not change this perception overnight, but it will help. On May 23, a suspected Chinese spy ship passed through the strait dividing Japan s two largest islands legal, but provocative. What can you do but snicker at this comment.