The issue of the future of U.S.-Japan security ties is an extremely timely one. Events such as the rape incident in Okinawa and massive public demonstrations in Japan against the U.S. troop presence call into question the long-term stability of the alliance between the two nations. This study group is undertaking an investigation into U.S.-Japanese relations with the premise that the United States urgently needs to reexamine current assumptions about this "immutable" relationship.