InsideJapan News Network

A leading international relations expert has urged Japan to strengthen its alliance with the US in the post-Bush era, according to Japan Times.

Kent Calder is the director of the Reischauer Centre for East Asian Studies at John Hopkins University's Scholl of Advanced International Studies.

He is quoted by the newspaper as saying: "The first thing, I think, is that Japan needs to be proactive and this is the time to prepare […] Japan is hugely important for the United States."

He continued to state that perceived 'Japan-passing' - bypassing Japan's opinions on international issues - could be resolved by the country being more assertive, adding: "We can't afford not to be conscious of each other."

Mr Calder - who worked as a special advisor for three US ambassadors to Japan - believes the perfect opportunity for this will be presented when Japan hosts the Group of Eight Summit in July, reports the newspaper.

Japan and the US have had a historically turbulent political relationship due to several trade disputes and strained relations over the Bush administration's foreign policy.