Is Japan Sovereign?

In November 2023, Japanese authorities awaited the official announcement from Washington before deciding three days later to confirm that a U.S. military V-22 Osprey had indeed crashed on their territory.

This episode alone illustrates the level of vassalage Japan has towards the United States. This vassalage was born at the end of World War II, when, after its defeat, the country experienced seven years of American occupation. It was expected for an occupied country to submit to the will of its occupier. However, it was less so that Japan continued to act this way after being freed from occupation by its conqueror through the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty. This "liberation," however, was closely monitored by the Americans. Indeed, Japan has been an independent and sovereign country since 1951.

With all due respect to this sovereignty, one cannot help but wonder why Japan:

• Allows more than 10% of its airspace to be controlled by the U.S. military, restricting access to its own citizens?
• Places the 50,000 American soldiers stationed on its soil above the laws of the country, so to speak?
• Tolerates that many post-war Japanese leaders have had their political careers cut short for opposing Washington's will, for one reason or another?
• Accepts (according to a former Prime Minister) that the authority of the head of government is subordinate to that of an obscure "Joint U.S.-Japan Committee" in the governance of the country?
• Refuses, despite being a victim of nuclear weapons and being at the forefront of the fight against their use, to sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which came into force in 2021 and to which the United States does not adhere (and which has only been ratified by 73 states as of January 16, 2024)?

A sovereign country whose airspace is controlled by an external power.

It is important to recall that Japan is home to around 80 bases and over 50,000 American soldiers on its soil. Of all the United States' strategic allies, it is the only one to grant nearly total extraterritoriality to these bases, their personnel, and the surrounding airspace. The most significant of these U.S.-controlled airspaces, which excludes all civil air traffic, is that around Yokota Air Base.

The base itself covers an area of 7 square kilometers, but its airspace for exclusive use by U.S. forces effectively extends over 39,000 square kilometers up to an altitude of 7,000 meters, encroaching even on part of the sky over Tokyo, the capital. Civil aviation pilots, prohibited from flying over this exclusively American zone, must resort to costly detours and acrobatic maneuvers to serve Tokyo-Haneda International Airport.

Japanese authorities cannot establish new flight corridors leading to the capital's airport as long as they would encroach upon this sanctified airspace. Nagano (where the author resides), located 300 kilometers from Tokyo, thus cannot have a direct air link to the capital because the requirement for civilian aircraft to bypass the gigantic "Yokota airspace" makes this route unprofitable.

The Vassalage of Japan: A Historical Review.

In 1945, the defeated Japan was occupied by the United States. The first task of the occupier, led by General Douglas MacArthur, was to judge and condemn the civilian and military ruling class of the empire and to massively purge its public service. This was done while exonerating Emperor Hirohito—who was the Supreme Commander of the Army and Navy and the Imperial General Headquarters—from any responsibility for the conduct of Japan's aggressive war.

The Americans managed to win the hearts of the Japanese population, which had been fiercely anti-American until then, by exporting their liberal democracy to a country accustomed to militaristic autocracy during the decades preceding World War II. Inspired by the Bismarckian model, the constitution of the Empire of Japan dating from 1889 was abolished by the Americans, and replaced with another constitution, partly copied from the American one, based on the principles of popular sovereignty, respect for fundamental human rights, and the promotion of pacifism.

The democratic and liberal transformation of the country brought about by this new constitution, which did not exclude an emperor still revered by the people, was well received by the Japanese population. This led to a spectacular turnaround, with the population now favoring yesterday's enemy. Thus, overnight, the first foreign occupiers in Japan's history were welcomed by the population as liberators.

It goes without saying that the post-war Japanese authorities, starting with the emperor, were entirely at the service of General MacArthur, the new master of Japan. This relative ease with which the Japanese adapted to their former enemy finds its origin in the way Japan modernized in the 19th century by drawing inspiration from the Western model (Cf. "Is Japan Asian?" by the author, published in the May 2024 edition of our publication Nouveaux Regards sur l’Asie). It also explains how the Japanese managed to accommodate without much difficulty to their country’s submission to America.

Since this period of American occupation, the custom of "considering Washington's wishes before any important decision" has permanently settled in the ruling class of the country. This marks the beginning of Japan's "vassalage" towards America—a new independence under conditions.

A New Independence Under Conditions.

The Korean War (1950-1953) was beneficial for occupied Japan, which experienced strong growth as a logistical base for American forces. This war also precipitated Washington's decision to make the archipelago a strategic ally in its effort to contain the rise of communism (USSR, China, North Korea, Vietnam...) in this part of the world (Domino Theory).

America hastily restored Japan's independence through the 1951 San Francisco Treaty while taking measures to ensure that the country remained firmly under its control. Thus, following the San Francisco Treaty, other secret agreements were signed to guarantee, among other things, the right of American forces to continue to station themselves freely on Japanese soil. This can be seen as the extension of the American military occupation regime, albeit in another form.

The U.S.-Japan Defense Advisory Committee: The True Master of Japan.

To ensure that Japan, now "sovereign," does not exceed the limits imposed by its former conqueror, a "U.S.-Japan Defense Advisory Committee" has been meeting since 1952 in a military hotel owned by the United States.

Represented on the American side are military officers and the No. 2 of the American embassy, while on the Japanese side, senior officials from various ministries participate. Supposed to coordinate the day-to-day affairs of the U.S. military in Japan, this Committee jealously keeps its deliberations and decisions secret and is seen as interfering in other areas related to the internal affairs of the archipelago.

Some Japanese sources even suggest that Japanese officials only attend these working meetings to gather the "wishes" of the American side and implement them through their respective ministries, even if some of these "wishes" contradict the provisions of the Japanese Constitution... From 2001 to 2009, Tokyo received an "annual letter" outlining what Washington "wished" to see reformed in certain Japanese regulations and legislative texts, as they were deemed inconvenient for American economic interests. It has been said that Prime Minister Hatoyama (2009-2010), who abolished this humiliating system of "annual American letters," admitted that it was upon taking office that he discovered that his authority as Prime Minister was subordinate to that of the U.S.-Japan Advisory Committee...

Mr. Hatoyama also discovered, much to his dismay, that the "Committee" was informed of everything he said privately with his close collaborators! After attempting to relocate a significant American base against Washington's will, Mr. Hatoyama's mandate ended abruptly after only eight months in office. Meanwhile, Japan has continued to slip in the rankings of major global economic powers: from 2nd place at the end of the 1960s, the archipelago is now down to 4th and soon to 5th. The multiple openings of the Japanese market (industries, labor, finance, postal services...) forced by America have significantly weakened the archipelago's economy.

Whenever a Japanese high-tech industry became too successful, it had to give way to its American competitors. As a result, Japan has experienced a decline in the global market for high-tech industries (especially semiconductors).

The Beneficial Effects of Vassalage.

The position of "vassal" to the United States has not only brought disadvantages to the archipelago. On the contrary, American military protection has allowed Japan to live in peace and prosper during the seven decades that followed the global conflict.

When Japan regained its independence in 1952, it was simultaneously imposed upon by the American occupier with a "pacifist" constitution, which states in Article 9: "The Japanese people renounce forever the use of war as a sovereign right of the nation, as well as the threat or use of force as a means of settling international disputes."

Despite the "pacifist" clauses of this constitution, which notably prohibit the possession of an army, Japan has nonetheless managed to establish a "Self-Defense Force" that is powerful and modern. Since then, the United States has only regretted that this pacifist constitution—dictated by them to the archipelago—has served as an excuse for the Japanese to reject the requests of their former conqueror to participate in wars waged by the U.S. in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. Even though Tokyo remains a faithful ally of the United States in regional crises against China, Russia, and North Korea, Japan's contribution to this alliance—by constitutional obligation—remains purely of a "defensive" nature, much to Washington's chagrin.

Moreover, thanks to the enduring American military presence on its soil, which has allowed Japan to benefit from the protection of its ally for national defense, it has been possible for the country to concentrate all its national resources on economic development. This has led to Japan becoming an economic powerhouse and, ironically, a formidable competitor for the U.S.

Resistance to American Domination.

Even though the population, traditionally favorable to anything from the West (and thus from America), remains indifferent to its dependence on the U.S., there have still been Japanese leaders who attempted to oppose American wishes.

The sudden disappearance of some of them from the Japanese political scene could be a consequence of this. As was the case with the aforementioned Prime Minister Hatoyama, the Americans always have the means to bring down anyone who gets too close for their liking to communist China and who has refused Washington’s request for market opening.

Whenever a Prime Minister leaves power prematurely, questions arise about what he might have done to incur the wrath of the Americans. One example: Prime Minister Tanaka (1972-1974) had to resign and end his political career following the Lockheed scandal. He is also known for angering Washington after his lightning visit to Beijing in 1972, which led to the establishment of Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations seven years before the Americans!

Another example: it is still rumored today that it was because he did not yield to strong American pressure to participate in the Iraq War that Prime Minister Fukuda Yasuo (2007-2008) had to end his term in office. Even today, it is customary that, as soon as elected by the Diet (the lower and upper houses) and appointed by the emperor, every Prime Minister must immediately visit the White House as if to receive its blessing. A recent example of this subordination of Japan to the U.S. is Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, who, despite being unpopular and at the lowest point in the polls, announced his decision to resign to the nation on August 14 only after, according to the press, having previously informed Washington to seek its approval...

Conclusion

Japan is certainly a sovereign country, but in a very particular form. The Japanese are known for their docility toward the "Okami" (the higher authority), and in this case, the Okami is America. Questioning the Okami is viewed very unfavorably in Japanese society.

Thus, subordination to the United States is not considered dishonorable and is even willingly accepted in a country where identification with the West has been at the core of the national mentality since the country's modernization in the mid-19th century. However, a change in this situation of subordination to America may be emerging since September 28, with the election of Mr. Shigeru Ishiba to head the government. Known for his nationalist positions, the new Prime Minister does not hide his intention to renegotiate the bilateral Japan-U.S. agreement, which is unfavorable to Tokyo in certain aspects.

It remains to be seen whether Washington will accept changing this situation in the way desired by the Japanese. One need only recall the unfortunate fate of Mr. Ishiba's predecessors to think that the new Prime Minister will have great difficulty making himself heard in Washington, especially if the White House is again occupied by Donald Trump.

Born in 1947 in Taiwan, CHEN Yo-Jung grew up in Vietnam and Hong Kong. He pursued his higher education in Japan and then served for 23 years at the French Embassy in Tokyo as a press attaché and translator-interpreter. Naturalized as a French citizen in 1981, Chen Yo-Jung became a civil servant at the Quai d’Orsay in 1994. He served as Deputy Consul/Press Counselor in several French diplomatic and consular posts, including in Tokyo, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Singapore, and Beijing, before retiring in Japan in 2012.