Japan is one of the richest countries in the world. Japan is a prosperous democracy that is closely aligned with the US and Western world. It also has faced threats in the past from the Soviet Union and China. NATO is a military alliance of Western countries aimed at protecting democracy and deterring aggression from more authoritarian states. This begs the question, is Japan a member of NATO?
Japan is not a member of NATO. At no time in its history has Japan been a member of the NATO alliance.
…but that’s just an overview. In fact, the reasons why Japan is not a member of NATO are more complex, as are Japan’s current relations with the alliance…
Can Japan Be Part of NATO?
NATO is an alliance of democratic and developed nations that aims to contain global threats and ensure the collective security of its members. Japan has been a strong democracy since 1947 and is fully integrated into the Western world. So, can Japan be part of NATO?
Japan cannot be a part of NATO. Only countries in Europe and North America can join NATO. Although Japan has a close relationship with NATO, it cannot become a member state. As a result, Japan cannot be covered by NATO’s article 5 mutual defence guarantee.
NATO was established in 1949. Its original objective was to provide mutual security across Europe and act as a deterrence against attacks by the Soviet Union. The original member states of NATO were Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
As the Soviet Union was seen as the biggest threat to the West when NATO was founded, and Europe was seen as the most strategically important region for America following World War Two, NATO only focused on Europe and did not include Asian countries.
Since the end of the Cold War, NATO has expanded in Europe. It now has 30 member states. Including the original 12 members, NATO also includes Greece, Turkey, Germany, Spain, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Albania, Croatia, Montenegro and North Macedonia.
Although NATO has expanded considerably since it’s foundation it has remained a trans-Atlantic alliance. As a result, countries outside of Europe and North America, such as Japan, have not joined.
Why Is Japan Not In NATO?
As we’ve said, Japan is not a member of NATO. We’ve also explained how Japan cannot become a part of NATO. But let’s go a bit deeper. NATO has three criteria for a country to join. These are:
- European country
- Contributes to the security of the Euro-Atlantic area
- Follows democratic principles
Now, let’s look at each of these and see why Japan is not a member of NATO.
European Country
The first criteria for a country to join NATO is that it is in Europe (or North America). Japan is in Asia and therefore is not eligible to become a member state of NATO.
Contribute to the Security of The Euro-Atlantic Area
NATO’s objective is to ensure peace and security in North America and Europe. All NATO members must contribute towards meeting the security challenges of these regions.
Japan’s security focus is in Asia as it faces it’s most direct threats within it’s own region. Although Japan has at times assisted NATO in Europe, it does not directly contribute to European or North American security and therefore cannot be a member of NATO.
Follow Democratic Principles
Only democratic countries can join NATO. Japan does meet this criteria as it has been a democracy since 1947. However, as Japan does not meet the other two criteria needed to join NATO, it cannot become a member state.
What Is Japan’s Relationship With NATO?
Ok, so Japan is not a member of NATO and cannot join the alliance. But where does that leave Japan in relation to NATO? Japan is a key American ally and has good relations with many Western countries, but what about Japan’s relationship with NATO?
Japan is a formal partner of NATO. This means it is not a NATO member but does cooperate closely with the alliance. Japan works with NATO on counterterrorism and anti-piracy operations. It also assisted NATO operations in Afghanistan.
Since World War Two, Japan has been a Western-style democracy. It has been closely aligned with America and Europe on many issues, including sharing many security concerns.
However, Japan’s constitution enshrines pacifism into the countries law. This means Japan cannot take military action and its armed forces are limited in scale.
As China developed and became more assertive in Asia, Japan moved closer to NATO. In 1990, Japan became NATO’s first ‘global partner’. These are countries that work closely with NATO but are not formal members.
Successive Japanese governments have been closely aligned with the US. This has generally meant they have been supportive of NATO. However, Japanese public opinion has not always favored the United States and there have been protests against its actions. Although in general people in Japan support the US and NATO, there is not universal support across the country.
Are NATO and Japan Allies?
Japan is not formally allied to NATO as it is not a member state. However, Japan is an official NATO partner and works closely with NATO in many areas. Japan is also a democratic nation and considered part of the Western world, meaning it’s values closely align with NATO’s.
Although it is not a formal ally, Japan has worked with NATO in a number of areas. These include:
- Maritime security
- Cyber-security
- Afghanization
- Peace-building operations
- Security in the Asia-Pacific region
Let’s take a quick look at each of these…
Maritime Security
Japanese and NATO forces have conducted joint training exercises focused on maritime security. These have included Japanese forces training on NATO ships and joint anti-piracy exercises in the Gulf of Aden. Japan has also designated a Liaison Officer to work within NATO’s maritime command.
Cyber-Security
NATO and Japan have worked together on developing cyber-security capabilities. Japan is a world leader in technological development. This led Japan to working with NATO to establish the Cooperative Cyber Defense Centre of Excellence. The center conducts research, training and exercises related to cyber-security, as well as developing new cyber-security technology.
Afghanization
Japan provided assistance to the NATO operation in Afghanistan. Although Japanese forces did not fight in Afghanistan, they did provide logistical and maritime support mainly from the Indian Ocean. Japan also contributed significantly to reconstruction and development work in Afghanistan during the time of NATO operations in the country.
Peace-Building Operations
In the 1990s Japan provided assistance to NATO in stabilizing the Balkans region following the break-up of Yugoslavia. Japan was a major donor to programmes within the region that directly supported NATO’s peace building efforts.
Security In The Asia-Pacific Region
Japan has begun discussions with NATO countries and allies in the Asia-Pacific region to address the shift in the regions security context as a result of a more dominant and assertive China. Japan sent a delegation to the NATO summit in Brussels in 2021 and has begun a formal dialogue with NATO regarding practical cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.
When Did Japan Join NATO?
So, we know that Japan is not currently a NATO member but that NATO and Japan are closely aligned and work together in many strategic areas. But has this always been the case? Has Japan ever joined NATO in the past?
Japan has never joined NATO. However, in 1990 formal cooperation between NATO and Japan began and Japan was designated an official NATO partner. In 2013 and 2014 NATO and Japan deepened their relationship by signing joint political declarations and accords. However, none of these agreements made Japan an official member of NATO.
Although Japan is not a member of NATO, it does have security guarantees from at least one NATO member. In 1960 the United States and Japan signed the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security. Article 5 of the treaty commits the United States to defend Japan if it is attacked by another country.
The Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the US and Japan is not the same as Japan being a member of NATO. However, it does give Japan a similar security guarantee from America as being a member of NATO would.
Will Japan Join NATO?
Since 1999, NATO has expanded considerably, going from 12 countries when it was founded in 1949, to 30 today. As Japan and NATO are closely aligned and Japan is officially a NATO partner, could we one day see Japan as full a NATO member state?
Japan will never be a NATO member. As a trans-Atlantic security organisation, NATO only allows members from North America and Europe. NATO will not expand into Asia and so Japan will not join the alliance.
Although Japan will not become a member of NATO, it may one day join a formal security alliance which includes other members of NATO.
Currently, there is no Asian equivalent of NATO. However, as China becomes more assertive in the region and is increasingly being seen as a threat, there is talk of a more formal security alliance between democratic and Western-aligned nations. This may be a long way off, but if a formal alliance in the style of NATO was created in Asia, Japan would likely join.