Japan, the United States, and Latin America: Toward a Trilateral Relationship in the Western Hemisphere

Japan has long had a presence in Latin America - ever since small numbers of Japanese migrated at the beginning of the century to work as farm laborers. Growing economic and political power has made Japan more visible than ever in the region, its activities and influence competing directly with U.S. holdings and interests. Providing a brief historical overview and examining issues that will shape future economic arrangements in the region, Japan, the United States, and Latin America is the most detailed analysis to date of growing Japanese economic influence outside Asia. In their introduction, the editors explore various possibilities for the future of the region: the United States maintaining its dominant position, Japan displacing the United States, and the two countries sharing economic power and political influence. Concluding that none of these possibilities is adequate, they propose instead a trilateral model in which the Latin American countries begin to play a central role in shaping the region's economic development, working as equal partners with Japan and the United States for mutual benefit. The other contributors to the volume provide the differing perspectives of the countries under consideration. Drawing on sources unfamiliar to most Western scholars, three Japanese authors discuss Japan's perspective on Latin America's role in the global political economy, the evolution of Japanese cultural ties and economic interests in the area, and the growth of Latin American studies in Japan. Five Latin American scholars then examine the impact of Japanese economic activities in Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Chile, and Panama. They also explore strategies these countries might use togain maximum advantage from relations with both the United States and Japan.