But more than half of Americans, especially those 65 years of age and older, still believe, as they have since 1945, that the U.S.

Americans believe that Japan has atoned for its actions during WWII. The Japanese are most likely to name the postwar U.S.-Japan military alliance.

Americans cite both WWII, and the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan as the most important events in the modern relationship. But different incidents over the past seven decades stand out in the American and Japanese consciousness. Even so, twice as many Americans as Japanese think Japan should take on more military responsibilities.Īs the two nations mark the 70 th anniversary of the end of World War II, history continues to frame U.S.-Japan ties. But Americans are divided over whether Japan should play a more active military role in the Asia-Pacific region. Adversaries in World War II, fierce economic competitors in the 1980s and early 1990s, Americans and Japanese nonetheless share a deep mutual respect.Ībout two-thirds of Americans trust Japan a great deal or a fair amount and three-quarters of Japanese say they trust the United States, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.Īmericans are pleased with the current state of U.S.-Japan relations: More than eight-in-ten prefer that ties between the two nations remain as close as they have been in recent years or get closer.

Mutual animosity