ABSTRACT
Japanese leaders have regarded the United States alliance as central to Japan’s security and have acted to protect it domestically. For the Japanese there was an alternative to the American alliance, which entailed a reorientation to what the Japanese regarded as “Asia”. The Miyako channel, which also provides access to the open sea for the Chinese navy, runs between the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands and Okinawa. The election of 17 December 2012 resulted in a severe defeat for the Democratic Party of Japan and brought Shinzo Abe and the Liberal Democratic Party back into office. In a way unusual for a Japanese leader, Shinzo Abe has attempted to expand Japan’s strategic horizons and reach out to the Western Pacific and beyond to encourage the development of security relationships with outlying actors, such as Australia and India, to counter China. Geopolitics has been a rude awakening for the Japanese.
