LONDON -- The Anglo-Japanese Alliance was signed on Jan. 30, 1902. It was a significant and unique step for both countries. Britain had not previously concluded alliances of this nature in an area so distant from its shores; it was Japan's first alliance with a European power and confirmed its status as a world power.

Some of the old guard in both Britain and Japan have at times been inclined to speak in sentimental terms about the "good old days" of the alliance. It is wise to remember that the treaty was based on hard-headed assessments of national interests by both governments. It was allowed to lapse because British and Japanese interests were growing apart and because it seemed to stand in the way of Britain's vital need to maintain close friendship with the United States.

The centenary of the conclusion of the alliance is, however, a suitable moment to review the nature and current state of Anglo-Japanese relations. As ambassador to Japan, I was irritated and embarrassed by the slick phrases of politicians about "Britain and Japan being two island countries, with monarchical and parliamentary systems, that lived by trade." I was also cynical about claims to a special relationship between the two countries in the absence of a clear definition of the meaning to be attached to the term "special relationship." This said, I think that British and Japanese interests now probably converge more than ever before.