Japan Without the United States?

The world is confronting the shockwaves emanating from the Trump administration.Japan, one of the staunchest allies of the United States, is no exception.The bottom line for Japan is that, in light of the deteriorating security environment surrounding the country, not least involving China, it needs the United States more for its defence.The security treaty between Japan and the United States has constituted the very foundation of Japan's foreign, security, and defence policy for more than seven decades, and the importance of the alliance has been increasing over the past decade or two.This trend is likely to continue in the coming years and decades, irrespective of who sits in the White House.The Japanese and American militaries are in the process of enhancing operational integration.In short, very few political leaders or experts believe that Japan has a viable Plan B -something that could replace the current U.S.-Japan alliance as the core of Japan's defence.It is thus not surprising that there are currently no lively and serious policy debates taking place on Plan B in Japan, representing one of the most remarkable differences between Japan and Europe.This short article examines the current state of, and challenges facing, the U.S.-Japan alliance under the second Trump administration, by analysing Japanese perceptions of Trump, emerging features of alliance politics under Trump, and finally the possibility of Plan B (or lack thereof) for Japan.The analysis here will be made not least in view of similarities and differences between the situation in Japan and that in Europe.As for Trump 2.0, this article covers the period until