ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the strengthening and deepening of relations between India and Japan since the 1990s. It provides a brief historical overview of Indo-Japan relations during the Cold War and also analyzes the structural and domestic factors that have subsequently played a pivotal role in the deepening of Indo-Japanese relations. Present Indo-Japanese relations are driven by various factors like economic partnership, security cooperation, infrastructure development and a shared strategic objective of minimizing economic dependence on China. The relative decline of the United States (US) presence in East Asia and the emergence of China as a new regional power center compelled Japan to reorient its policy towards Asia, under which it was forced to pursue a policy of "cooperative approach to regional security". The chapter assesses the impact of India–Japan relations in the Asian region, and concludes with a discussion of the future of this bilateral relationship in uncertain times.
