Russia is barely managing to keep its territory under one flag, do you think they can afford doing other conquers around? I know that the image of the "USSR" is still in the minds of many after the "cold war" campaign through movies, but that was many years ago. Now, they are just a country like any other, not the "bulldog" it used to be, the only thing that's the same, it can still stand up as a super power, military speaking.

maybe and maybe not. At least China is one hell of huge threat to us.

threat
 

What kind of chinese threat for Japan do you mean? Do they intend to seize japanese territories?

I don't see why Japan can't have China and the US. Is that greedy?!

I think that Japan should not distance itself not only from the USA, but from any other country. It cannot depend on its own economy any longer, as it is loosing to China and Korea on the international arena. If Japan wants to regain its position on the global market it has to be more open.

Japan has few natural resources, since it's a volcanic island. Maintaining a high standard of liveing for an ageing population will be difficult if it doesn't formulate close ties with somebody.

The US makes sense in a way because the countries are rather far apart and Japan can still have a sense of "independance". China and Japan have a long and unfriendly history and neither would likely wish to be allied with the other.

I understand that the US and Japan fought each other in ww2 but I somehow think that made things easier. Both sides saw the measure and determination the other was willing to go to, they also witnessed how brutal both sides could be. I know that seems like a strange conclusion.

I'm sorry but this is exactly the other way, since it's a volcanic area, it has alot of natural resources.

No, it doesn't..That's why it had to make such agressive moves against the US in ww2..it has no oil deposites nor very large coal deposites. Not sure how much Iron ore it has..prolly no where near as much as the US has.

Volcanic has potential for many types of ores...Japan just didnt get very lucky with the cards they were delt.

I think you're both thinking of different resources.

When it comes to water and fertile lands then Japan is pretty rich in resources regarding that.

we found methane-hydrate deep under the sea around Japan. and China started yelling senkaku islands are chinese territory since then.