The election of Kevin Rudd as prime minister of Australia last month gives that country an excellent opportunity to broaden the base, and redefine the tenor, of its ties with Japan.

Under the regime of the conservative John Howard, the relationship between Australia and Japan took on a narrow focus, putting strategy and security within the confines of U.S. foreign policy at the center of the bilateral tie. Australia and Japan can, with some foresight on Rudd's part, enter a new bilateral era. Let me explain.

World War II left a legacy of bitterness in Australia that was not as quick to dissipate as it was, for instance, in the United States.