Since the end of the Cold War, Japan-U.S. relations have been in turmoil. A highly significant development was a 1996 Japan-U.S. summit, in which Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto and President Bill Clinton redefined the terms of the bilateral security system. The 50-year-old alliance will continue into the 21st century, transcending changes brought about by the end of the Cold War.
Aside from the 1996 summit, Japan-U.S. relations have been plagued by troubles. After strengthening security ties with Japan, Clinton traveled to Beijing to improve relations with China, but failed to stop in Tokyo on either end of the China visit. During his talks with President Jiang Zemin of China, Washington's "strategic partner," Clinton made disparaging remarks about Japan's economic difficulties. But the so-called "Japan passing" was only a slightly annoying episode in Japan-U.S. relations.
Regarding the episode, I wrote in a magazine article: