ABSTRACT
Japan faces the challenges of the next century still dominated by values that reach back into the deep recesses of its history, by an insular outlook that has been shaped by its geographic position, and by the stark reality of a changing world that is pressing it to assert responsible leadership commensurate with its economic power. The Japanese, more than their United States (US) counterparts, engage in self-education. They are prodigious consumers of books and magazines. A considerable portion of the population are amateur musicians, and all sorts of visual arts from calligraphy to painting are practiced widely. A Japan committed to a more prominent international role would have important consequences for US-Japanese relations. Domestic opposition to entanglements in military conflicts and the specter of foreign resentment of an assertive Japan continue to hobble Japanese foreign policy.
