Technologies of Cold War Diplomacy: Transforming Postwar Japan

In the mid-1960s, the Japanese government brought a technology focus to its relations with the United States, aiming to build respect for Japan as an equal partner in world affairs, as well as a source of high-quality industrial products. Efforts to replace its identity as an impoverished and defeated enemy with that of Cold War ally, trade partner, and industrial competitor were constrained by Americans' preconceptions and the particular functions of technology in international relations. The U.S. government engaged in its own technopolitics, mobilizing American technical knowledge to push Japanese policy in desired directions. This article highlights the difficulty of using technology as a tool of diplomacy by examining its role in U.S.-Japanese relations through a popular cultural initiative and top-level diplomatic discussions.