A new generation of 'Japan hands' and a changing world

Japan Times

2 days ago

The recent passing of Joseph Nye and Richard Armitage marks the end of an era in U.S.-Japan relations.
As individuals, they could not have been more different — Nye, the Harvard professor and Democratic architect of 'soft power,' and Armitage, the straight-talking U.S. Navy veteran and Republican strategist. And yet together, they represented the ideal bipartisan alignment that underpinned a golden age of American engagement with Japan.
For decades, they helped shape a vision of U.S.-Japan ties grounded in shared values, strategic trust and mutual respect. They were not only scholars or statesmen — they were Japan hands in the truest sense: people who understood that the U.S.-Japan alliance is not just a bilateral relationship but a cornerstone of global order.
The loss of these two great men — who quite literally built U.S.-Japan relations through their personal connections and the energy they brought to their roles — leaves a gap that no single person can fill, nor should anyone try. The debate that Ambassador Ryozo Kato began when Armitage retired from public service has only become more intense along with the numerous tributes that have flowed from Washington to Tokyo.
The truth, however, is that the world they helped shape has changed dramatically. The next generation of 'Japan hands' must reflect a new landscape — one defined by shifting geopolitics, generational change and a broader, more diverse community of actors.
A wider circle
The term 'Japan hand' once evoked a small, elite circle of policymakers, scholars and diplomats. That world is evolving and ever expanding. Today, Japan-engagement spans across industries, disciplines and demographics, from tech entrepreneurs and climate scientists to artists, educators and defense strategists.
The next generation of Japan hands will be more global, more inclusive and more interdisciplinary by necessity. Japan is no longer 'No. 1' or the main economic alternative to America like it was in the 1980s when Armitage and Nye established themselves, rather it is a bastion of soft power and a global force multiplier for a more reluctant America that is questioning its own role in the world.
Richard Armitage, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, attends the first International Conference Of Council for Arab and International Relations in Kuwait City in February 2013. |
REUTERS
We now see rising voices who may not speak perfect Japanese or have not served in government, but who bring deep curiosity and commitment to the U.S.-Japan relationship. Many are women or people of color and come from backgrounds long excluded from the traditional foreign policy establishment. This is not a dilution of the term — it is this very evolution that should be celebrated even as we mourn the passing of these giants and their moment in time.
A tougher strategic environment
The strategic context is also far more complex than in Nye and Armitage's heyday. The U.S.-Japan alliance must now grapple with a rising China and authoritarianism in general, coupled with powerful nonstate actors and the reshaping of global supply chains after COVID-19 and a changing global trading order. Climate change, AI and demographic decline are no longer peripheral issues — they are central to national security and economic statecraft in more deeply divided American and Japanese polities where domestic politics trumps foreign policy consensus.
This moment calls for more friends of Japan who can appreciate and navigate these challenges with agility, drawing from multiple domains while maintaining the clarity of purpose that Nye and Armitage modeled. It requires not just Japan experts, but bridge-builders who can interpret across cultures, disciplines and generations.
Honoring a legacy
To honor Nye and Armitage is not to look backward with nostalgia, but forward with ambition. They taught us that loyalty to allies should transcend political parties — a message that feels especially urgent amid rising polarization and populism across our democracies. They also showed that strategic clarity and human empathy can coexist — and that is a lesson for any generation.
There will never be another Armitage or Nye — or an Armitage-Nye pairing. But that's not the goal. What we need now is a network of Japan hands — scholars, practitioners, students and citizens — who bring new energy to an old friendship. People who see Japan not only as a security partner, but as a cultural and technological force in its own right where its global role is additive and complementary to the new world order. People who understand that alliances are not inherited and taken for granted — they are earned, renewed and reimagined by each generation with appreciation and reverence for the giants on whose shoulders we all stand.
The torch is being passed. The question is not only who will carry it, but whether they will carry it with the same conviction and the same courage to adapt.
Joshua W. Walker, Ph.D., is president and CEO of Japan Society.