ABSTRACT
India–Japan relations have been elevated from a cultural and economic partnership to that of a cooperative relationship in the Indo-Pacific, as outlined by the India–Japan Vision 2025 statement signed in 2017. Since establishing a special strategic global partnership in 2014, India and Japan have sought to deepen their defence ties in response to their regional security challenges. At the same time, the said partnership has faced several challenges in the contexts of their respective relationships with China and the US. The questions this chapter raises are: How has India–Japan relation transformed over time into a resilient partnership? What are the strategic arrangements in the Indo-Japanese bilateral relationship that continue to thrive? and how have China and the United States (US) impacted the India–Japan relationship at the bilateral and multilateral levels? The chapter examines India–Japan relations considering their identities, norms and principles illustrated through their approach towards the Indo-Pacific as well as the intensifying US–China conflict. This chapter further seeks to analyse the Indo-Japanese relationship in their bilateral security partnership, as well as its potential in leading a multipolar order in the Indo-Pacific through Japan’s multilateralism and India’s multialignment.
