Abstract
On the 7th of December 1941, Japanese submarines and carrier-based planes attacked the U.S. Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor, killing 3000 military personnel, and destroying a great part of the fleet. This led to a 4-years war culminating in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a milestone in human history. Japan was defeated for the first time in its history and occupied by foreigners, imposing their culture and values. Fifty years later, the same country has become one of the three major economic power, creating a brand-new growth model, has experienced years of political democratic stability and has never ceased to cultivate its independence and cultural specificity. Therefore, the country remains surprisingly neutral when it comes to international politics, which is the main reason why common wisdom has it that Japan is both an economic giant and a political waif. Only on this precise point does a strong dependence to the U.S. remain obvious, as Japanese diplomacy merely reflects and follows American positions.
