HONOLULU -- As its 55th birthday approaches, the Japan-U.S. alliance faces new challenges and new opportunities. Ironically, new security threats -- and new demands for cooperation -- provide the best opportunities to revitalize the alliance. The bilateral security relationship is in better shape than ever.

From the close friendship between U.S. George W. Bush and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to the good working-level relations between the two foreign affairs and defense establishments, the alliance rhetoric of shared values has never been more real.

Japanese and U.S. forces serve together in Iraq, Japan is a key player in the multilateral effort to deal with North Korea's nuclear ambitions, and both are focused on developing a ballistic missile system to defend against such threats.