This is part of a current "trend" that deserves watching. China has similar disputes with Vietnam, S. Korea and, naturally Taiwan. Some of those disputes have the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia with additional claims in some of the same areas.
Japan has a PR problem that the U.S. should help it get over. It has been a very good business partner with many Asian nations for over thirty years now. They have all prospered because of the Japanese economy and Japanese investments. Japan has not been an economic bully and its direct foreign aid is the largest in the world. In spite of that, close cooperation with Japan on national security issues is still hard for many Asian nations to achieve. Neither they, nor Japan apparently, can get over the Japanese legacy of WWII. The shame is that Japan today is not the Japan of the WWII era. They need to have a stronger military that is part of cooperative security measures with its Asian partners.
We (the U.S.) need to work agressively for Southeast Asian cooperation with Japan on security issues. It would be in Asia's, and our, best long term interest.
Maybe we are. Bush's people have indicated that one U.N. change they would support would give Japan a seat on the Security Council. I support that. If India and Pakistan would lay down their sabers, completely, permanently I would support a joint sub-continent seat for them as well.
Agreed.
Yes, you are 100% correct in that there are multilateral disputes on the sides of most parties in the region, often many having similar and competing/conflicting claims on the region's resources. Not just natutal gas and oil R & D, but other items, like fishing rights, the nature and scope of each nation's EEZ, and other regional energy and power issues.
I think the trick is to carefully assess the major points of contention (and sources of potential conflict) and the creation of security measures that realistically deal with each potential problem. You are correct, the rub or "fly in the ointment" is Japan's legacy from WW-II (and before, also). Would-be partners in an effective security arrangement are reluctant to get too close to Japan, or aid and abet in the creation of a new, malevolent Japanese Empire.
The truth is that Japan is a hard-working and industrious country that has clearly proven itself as a trusted and trustworthy business partner and security co-guarantor in the region.
The trick is to get every ally to see it that way. In light of the massive Chinese military buildup of the last few years, this issue is becoming more pressing as each day passes.