The International Herald Tribune:
U.S.-Japanese relations have come a long way in the 60 years since the end of World War II, with Japan now showing a growing desire to be treated like a “normal” country when it comes to collective security arrangements and shouldering more of the burden for its own defense. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s recent agreement to strengthen security ties with the United States and his proposed plan to amend Article 9 of Japan’s postwar constitution to allow for greater engagement in collective security operations are both positive developments.
But as revealed by the outrage in the region over Koizumi’s October visit to the Yasukuni Shrine, Japan’s ever-controversial memorial to its war dead, Japan is still seen as far from “normal” by its neighbors. Indeed, until the Japanese government commits itself to an honest reckoning of Japan’s wartime history, the country’s new attitude on security will continue to be distrusted.
