It is impossible to address why Asia matters for America without mentioning our greatest Asian source of incoming investment, Japan. Japan has held a unique and essential role at the vanguard of US-Asia relations over the past 80 years. With exports to Japan totaling more than $60 billion annually, and supporting the better part of a million US jobs, the relationship is unrivaled.
In 2014, East-West Center in Washington Director Satu Limaye was able to expand his Asia Matters for America vision to better reflect the importance of Japan with a grant from the Japan-US Friendship Commission (JUSFC). The resulting online platform showcases comprehensive data on state and district interactions with Japan in terms of trade, jobs, demographics, students, tourism, and sister cities. The website’s interactive graphics are an accessible and customizable tool for policymakers, congressional members and staff, educators and students, and anybody else curious about the US-Japan relationship.
Unlike lone reports or seminars, Japan Matters for America and the larger Asia Matters for America initiative are ongoing projects which include articles, projects, and data updates to keep a fresh picture of US-Asia Pacific relations.