Strategic Yet Strained aims to analyze the broad set of issues that the US–Japan alliance faces as it tries to adjust to the post-9/11 strategic environment—and thereby maintain its relevance as the foundation of peace and stability in the Asia–Pacific region and beyond—through examining the ongoing bilateral efforts in realigning the US military presence in Okinawa. Throughout the history of the US–Japan alliance the issues related to US military presence in Okinawa has presented one of the greatest challenges for the alliance managers both in Tokyo and Washington. The intent of Strategic Yet Strained is to contribute to deepening the understanding of complex issues that are all too often described off-handedly by the term “the Okinawa problem” when discussing the challenges of US force realignment in Japan. A total of twelve authors(six on the Japanese side, six on the US side) contributed to this publication: Robert Eldridge (Osaka University), Toshiya Hoshino (Osaka University), Takashi Kawakami (Takushoku University), Koji Murata (Doshisha University), Sugio Takahashi (National Institute of Defense Studies), Tsuneo Watanabe (Mitsui Global and Strategic Research Institute), L. Gordon Flake (The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation), Eric Heginbotham (RAND Corporation), Weston Konishi (The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation), Derek Mitchell (Center for Strategic and International Studies), Scott Snyder (Asia Foundation) and Yuki Tatsumi (The Stimson Center).
The publication launch was hosted by CSIS October 6, 2008.