Like many others, I was stunned by the results of the recent presidential election in the United States. Whatever you think of Donald Trump, he certainly demonstrated political genius in connecting with millions of Americans, tapping into widespread sentiments and defying the conventional wisdom of polls and pundits. With Trump voters numbering over 60 million, the common denominator of their support was a desire for a political outsider who would upend the entrenched ways of Washington.
One of the Beltway's sacred cows challenged by Trump is the status of Japan-U.S. relations. Since the end of World War II, the security partnership with Japan has been the cornerstone of U.S. geopolitical strategy in the Asia-Pacific region. The bargain — in which the U.S. provides a security umbrella in exchange for basing rights on Japanese soil and Japanese financial support — has been part of a fundamental bipartisan consensus. Until Donald Trump. During his anti-establishment campaign, he threatened to reconsider the alliance if Japan did not shoulder a greater burden and seemed to encourage the country to acquire its own nuclear arsenal. As a result of such rhetoric, an alliance so important that it had been taken for granted was debated multiple times in what was a singularly bizarre election season.
Understandably, Tokyo political elites are as shaken as their Washington counterparts by Trump's election. On the whole, the decadeslong alliance has contributed to U.S. hegemony, East Asian stability and Japan's rise as an advanced country. It should only be modified with extreme caution. However, a broader look at the history of Japan-U.S. relations may temper the anxiety.