The View from Japan
How do the Japanese view the Sino-U.S. national identity gap? Their views are naturally informed by their own national identities and their national identity gaps with China and the United States, while also viewing the Sino-U.S. relationship through the lens of Japan’s perceived national interests. They long regarded Japan as a natural bridge between the two countries, briefly feared that the two would have find an affinity at Japan’s expense, and recently have found consolation in the notion that irreconcilable differences are driving China and the United States far apart. This progression is traced below before this paper concentrates on the recent Sino-U.S. gap, noting Japan’s overlap with its ally, but also observing Japan’s loss of interest in learning from the United States.