Applicant asks support to conduct interviews with Japanese and Armerican officials, experts, and opinion leaders in Tokyo and· Washington D C. , analyze research data, and prepare for publication a book-length stμdy, Back Door to Power: Japan's Rise to Global Prominence and the U.S.-Japan Alliance. Based on. the applicant's earlier research, the extensive use of Japanese language sources and personal interviews, the study synthesizes many cases, issues, and examples to present a minimalist - or "coping" - model of post-1952 Japanese foreign policy conduct. The study assigns much weight to Japan's-domestic political environment and the role of the U.S. in shaping this·'coping''approach. The adequacy of the approach for serving Japan's current national interests will be discussed in light of Japan's reduced dependence on the U.S., its emergence as an active multilateral diplomatic player, and the uncertainties of the post-cold war era.