How to win friends and influence people - Shinzo Abe style

AUGUST marks the 75th anniversary of Victory over Japan (VJ Day) that finally brought closure to World War II. While Japan was a major US foe then, today Tokyo's importance in the Western alliance is of significant, and growing, strategic importance again.

Not only is Japan a longstanding member of Western clubs such as the G-7 alongside Italy, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States, there is also growing policy speculation that it could be invited to join the so-called 'Five Eyes' intelligence alliance which currently comprises Canada, the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand.

A key part of the rationale for Japan's growing geopolitical importance is that, just like the start of the Cold War, it is perceived in the West as a key bulwark against the advance of China and potentially Russia into Asia-Pacific. Yet, while much emphasis is put on the security pillar of the Japanese-Western alliance, economics is important too.