Japan is, at heart, politically as well as geographically, a country of small towns. One of these is home to the Japanese-American political relationship.

Populated by distinguished elders and ambitious young courtiers from government and academia on both sides of the Pacific, this village has its own lexicon, holds town meetings at think tanks and issues nonbinding resolutions promoting the status quo.

To become a permanent resident of the nichibei kankei mura (Japan-U.S. relations village), one must first have the right resume. Like homes, restaurants and gas stations, it's first about "location, location, location." That means having an address in either one of America's two cities (New York or Washington — are there any others?), or in Japan (this merely being a synonym for Tokyo, of course).