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“A friend sent me an e-mail about the
fellowship and I said ‘why not’ I had been
searching for a sign that would refocus my life after
my health crisis,” she says.
After an extensive application and interview
process, Carolyn was awarded the fellowship.
Sponsored by Hitachi Ltd., a large, Japanese
technology-based corporation with a global
presence, and the Council on Foreign Relations, the
post is designed for mid-career professionals who
may assist in establishing new links and maintaining
ties between the u.S. and Japan.
e u.S. defense umbrella includes the large
conventional force presence of nearly 47,000 troops
stationed in Japan, strategic commitments in the
region and commitment of extended deterrence
guaranteed by u.S. nuclear forces. Time and events
have strained this arrangement. Aside from
economic problems and potential threats from
China and North Korea, many Japanese are
unhappy with the number of u.S. troops stationed
on their soil. Two incidents related to the Futenma
airbase, home to about 4,000 troops, contributed to
the unrest. e first was the abduction and rape of a
12-year-old Okinawan girl by three u.S. servicemen
in 1995. In 2004 a helicopter crashed into Okinawa
International university, elevating already
heightened concerns about public safety near the
urban base. After nearly 15 years of negotiation, an
agreement was struck in 2006 to relocate the base,
only to fall apart four years later.
u.S. forces stationed in Japan have long been a
controversial and complex issue. While the majority
of the Japanese public supports the presence of u.S.
forces in Japan for maintaining security, the people
of Okinawa remain less sanguine about u.S. forces
in their backyard. Moreover, most Japanese remain
unaware of the strategic value of u.S. forces in
Japan for security and stability in East Asia.
“It’s a very challenging time for Japan,” Carolyn
says. “Japan is witnessing its economy being
surpassed by China. To top it off, Japan is facing a
massive fiscal deficit. Japan has one of the world’s
oldest populations, combined with one of the lowest
birth rates in the world. e pension system is
under severe stress, and it is expected to get worse in
the coming years. ere are simply not enough
workers to support the graying population. And in
many respects, Japan is becoming a more inwardlooking
society rather than a global society.
Immigration is an extremely sensitive issue here.
Japan also still continues to try to overcome its
colonial past in Asia, including with Korea and
China.”
In the numerous articles that Carolyn has
published over the last year in the Wall Street
Journal, the Daily Yomiuri and other publications,
she urges the Japanese not to become complacent
about taking initiative for their own defense, to take
a stronger look at the changing world around them,
and make decisions that will strengthen their own
foothold as peacekeepers in East Asia.
Carolyn is realistic about the u.S-Japan
alliance. She believes it can endure another 50 years
if the country adapts to face 21st-century threats to
its own security, including its constitutional
constraints on warfare. “But this is no easy task.
Japan faces significant domestic political constraints
which render it difficult to view foreign policy as
playing a prominent role in Japanese politics in the
coming years,” she says.
One constraint is the economic slump the
country has struggled to overcome for two decades.
It was made worse by the 2008 banking crisis and
the worldwide recession that followed.
Moreover, most Japanese remain
unaware of the strategic value
of U.S. forces in Japan for
security and stability.
“As a result, no matter how hard the u.S.
government pushes Japan to do more in the security
area, it is likely to see the same minimal level of
effort from Japan,” Carolyn says. “And the tension
over Futenma may only represent the beginning of
turbulent times in the coming years. us, it may be
necessary for the u.S. to look toward other security
relationships in the Asia-Pacific, including Korea,
Australia and even India, to assume more
responsibility for security in the region as China’s
military rise continues and the instability of the
Korean Peninsula persists.”
SBC.EDU | SWEET BRIAR MAGAZINE
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