Foreword
One hundred and fifty years ago, U.S. Naval Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in Tokyo Bay, sent by President Millard Fillmore on an expedition to persuade Japan to establish diplomatic relations with the United States. Within a year, Perry had forced the government to sign a treaty opening its borders to international commerce — an agreement that thrust Japan, which for 200 years had banned all foreign contact under punishment of death, permanently onto the world stage.Japan today is an economically and technologically powerful player. Militarily, however, the nation maintains the unique position of unconditional pacifism, derived from its constitution, written…
