A Teachable Moment in U.S.-India Relations
New York – India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrives in Washington this week for the first state visit of the Obama administration, prompting policy and media circles in the U.S. and India alike to buzz with the question: “What will be the big drop-dead announcement this time?”

Chic Is Out, Cheap Is In
Japan’s economy once again is growing, albeit slowly, but the road back from the nation’s longest recession since World War II is rocky. With the job market still unsettled and the yen dropping in value, wary consumers are not returning to their old shopping habits. A different breed of Japanese consumer has emerged in the wake of the global financial meltdown and may be here to stay. Once known for their mass consumption of luxury goods, they now are getting a reputation as avid discount shoppers. As traditional department store revenues plunge, discount retailers are enjoying a surge in popularity. Take Wal-Mart. For the first time since it entered Japan seven years ago through its Seiyu subsidiary, the world’s largest retailer expects to generate a profit in Japan in 2009.

The Looming Crisis in U.S.-Japan Relations
As U.S. President Barack Obama visits Tokyo on the first stop of his inaugural trip to Asia, he may unknowingly step into a looming crisis in the alliance with Japan. But it is not the alliance crisis he may be led to expect. Much of the punditry in the media would have us believe that Japan and the United States were on the verge of a breakup over where to relocate 60 Marine helicopters. Yet durable alliances are based on common interests, not simply disagreements over means. As difficult an issue as the relocation of Futenma Marine Air Station has been, however, the salient question is whether next year’s half-centenary celebration of the 1960 Mutual Security Treaty will mark the end of the alliance as we know it or the beginning of the alliance we both need for the 21st century.