U.S.-Japan Relations | Ryan “Tennessean” Guest Column

Global Perspectives

U.S.-Japan Relations

On the occasion of the visit of Ambassador of Japan Koji Tomita and Mrs. Tomita to Nashville, the World Affairs Council was invited to contribute a guest column to “The Tennessean.” It was a pleasure to share my perspective on the importance of the relationship to the security and prosperity of the United States, and especially to Tennessee. We hope you will find the column to be of interest.

Sincerely,

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“The Tennessean”

October 29, 2021 [Link]

There’s no closer partner to Tennessee in trade, security and amity than Japan | Opinion

Tennessee’s prosperity is buoyed by foreign direct investment and exports and no other country is as important to the State as Japan. But the close relationship is built on more than commerce.

Patrick W. Ryan
Guest Columnist

• Lt. Cmdr. Patrick W. Ryan, USN(Retired) is founding president of the Tennessee World Affairs Council.

The United States has long been a Pacific power but is focusing new attention on the importance of the region – political, economic and in defense and security. In our State, meanwhile, the relationship with Japan is flourishing to the great benefit of both Tennesseans and our Japanese partners.

On the national level relationship, Japan is America’s preeminent partner across the Indo-Pacific theater, with six decades of defense ties under the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty, billions of dollars of trade under the 2019 U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement, and deep ties through people-to-people connections.

My own view of our ties with Japan stem from serving aboard a U.S. Navy warship based in Yokosuka – the sole foreign base for U.S. aircraft carrier operations — during the Cold War. From that vantage I learned about the staunch support for U.S. military forces housed throughout the island nation and the close support and operational partnership with Japanese Self Defense Forces – ready to fight together.

“The U.S.-Japan alliance is the cornerstone of our efforts to ensure a Free and Open Indo- Pacific,” according to Admiral Philip Davidson, theater commander in 2019 U.S. Senate testimony. The threat to regional and American security from North Korea remains profound. Meanwhile, Americans and Japanese are wary of the expansion and modernization of China and its increasing belligerence in the South and East China Seas and threats to Taiwan’s security. America is fortunate to share values and commitments with a nation like Japan in protecting U.S. interests thousands of miles away.

Japan is a top economic partner with America, with over $250 billion in total trade in 2020. The vibrant trade and investment climate has been boosted by agreements that have seen, among other benefits, elimination or reduction of tariffs on over $7 billion in American agricultural exports.

Foreign direct investment, or FDI, from Japan into the United States has been a key feature of the bilateral relationship. And 60% of the U.S. total goes to Tennessee, the top state in the U.S., with about $15 billion of Japanese FDI.

What does that mean to Tennesseans? There are 192 Japanese-owned companies operating across the State, employing more than 54,000 Tennesseans, over half of all FDI jobs. These workers are in companies large and small, spread from Bristol to Memphis, prosperity engines in dozens of towns. Some mega-manufacturers like Nissan, Mitsubishi and Bridgestone call Tennessee home for their headquarters. Small and medium enterprises from Japan are finding opportunities and homes in the State in a variety of commercial sectors.

On the occasion of Mitsubishi Motors headquarters relocating to Franklin, Governor Bill Lee noted, “The reputation of Tennessee’s business climate and skilled workforce has attracted countless world-class businesses to our state.”

This economic climate didn’t just happen. It was through the hard work of Tennessee political and business leaders decades ago to bring Japanese companies to the state. It has been through the diligence of organizations like the State Department of Economic and Community Development, the Japan-American Society of Tennessee and the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce that the climate cendured and evolved to its current prominence in the prosperity of the State.

The opening of the Japanese Consulate in Nashville in 2008, Tennessee’s only foreign diplomatic post, was one of the many milestones in the expansion of business and cultural ties between Tennesseans and Japanese. That important work continues under the initiatives of Consul-General Kayoko Fukushima. She works to see that visits of trade delegations and Japanese diplomats build upon everything that came before.

On November 2nd, Nashville will host the Japanese Ambassador to the U.S. Koji Tomita and his wife in a visit hosted by the Tennessee World Affairs Council. That evening he will talk with the community at a Global Town Hall at Belmont University about the depth and breadth of the U.S.-Japanese relationship, and everyone is invited.

Ambassador Tomita is likely to speak to more than the importance of national security and business relations. A key strength is the people-to-people ties. Whether it’s the Southern hospitality shown Japanese business people and their families in Tennessee cities and towns, the exchanges of students and teachers, or the gift of cherry trees, symbolizing the bonds of friendship, there are scores of ways Tennesseans and Japanese are connected.

Our welcome for Ambassador and Mrs. Tomita on November 2nd will be one more expression of that friendship and you should join us at the Town Hall to make that welcome.

Lt. Cmdr. Patrick W. Ryan, USN (Retired) is founding president of the Tennessee World Affairs Council. He served 26-years in the Navy as a Submariner and Intelligence Officer including tours of duty in Japan and across the Western Pacific. More information about the Tennessee World Affairs Council is at TNWAC.org.

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