Japan should rethink and clarify its role in the half-century-old security alliance with the United States, Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka said Friday.
"The 50th anniversary (of the signing of the Japan-U.S. security treaty) is a big turning point, and we cannot simply continue in the current situation," Tanaka told reporters. "As the world's No. 2 economy, Japan must rethink its role and carry out diplomacy independently.
"It is an issue that requires political decision, and we need to conduct transparent deliberations in the Diet as well as gain support from the public and understanding from neighboring countries such as China and South Korea."