ABSTRACT
The auto dispute between Japan and the United States and its resolution provides the first real indication of Japan’s growing role in the maintenance of the international trading system. Although the outcome of the crisis placed additional restrictions on the flow of goods, it will be argued that it is necessary to go beyond a mere symptomatic reading of the events. As such, while the auto dispute has been studied in some detail by Winham and Kabashima,1 our focus will not only concern the negotiating strategy of the two parties, but will also seek to grasp the intentions behind the stand taken by the Japanese Government.
