ABSTRACT
Large United States special procurements in Japan induced by the Korean War during the early 1950s gave Japan’s domestic economy its first postwar boom. Japan and its foreign relations after the war show some striking contrasts to its own past and to the historical norm. After the war Japan became a close ally of the United States, and through the mutual security pact the United States agreed to absorb most of the cost of Japan’s national defense. Japan is an industrial country with little indigenous supply of natural resources. The advancement of communication technology further facilitated Japan’s intercourse with the world economy. A wholesome and realistic way to gain safety of maritime transportation from the standpoint of Japan’s economic security is to make positive contributions to peace in areas adjacent to such strategic sites as the Hormuz and Malacca straits, the Panama and Suez canals, and the Cape of Good Hope.
