Why we need the US‐Japan security treaty

There are a number of arguments that opponents of the US‐Japan security treaty have used over the years to explain why the security treaty is either unnecessary, unfair, or both, and should be scrapped. These arguments are unreasonable at best and dangerous at worst, says Daizo Sakurada, associate professor of international relations at the University of Tokushima. He examines and responds to each argument, showing why the security treaty is necessary for peace in the Asia‐Pacific region. An earlier version of this paper was published by the Centre for Strategic Studies in New Zealand as CSS Working Paper 7/97, entitled “For Mutual Benefit: The Japan‐US Security Treaty from a Japanese Perspective.”