It clearly shows that many in the United States do not really understand the Japan-U.S. alliance.

Many? I'd go with 'most don't understand' or 'only a slight few do understand', which makes sense given the complexity of the arrangement and how far removed from most US American's (and the rest of the world's for that matter) everyday lives the US-Japan alliance is.

No Admiral, it merely shows that a huckster, blowhard, and "entertainer" running for political office merely to further his own personal business interests has no grasp of complex foreign policy issues. Though if my understanding is correct, Japan has its fair share of unqualified "talento" politicians also.

This is not rocket science.

Now US has more allies compared to about 40 years ago through the cold war era with Russia. US don't need to depend on Japan as its close ally anymore, US has better options today. The target has shifted from Russia to China, so does the dynamics with US allies in Asia to build up on its proxy war with China.

So US is shrewd enough to woo some other nations to its own benefit, specially nations which have rich natural resources, young population and cheap man power. Does Japan have any of these qualifications today? I seriously doubt.

Also thanks to growing domestic issue in Japan like aging population, shrinking economy, resistance to US defence forces in its soil etc. US has nothing to gain from its relation with Japan anymore.

To summarize history has proven time and again that US can be an opportunist friend and a very dangerous enemy.

Perhaps the vice admiral can detail what Japan brings to the table vs. what the USA does, and let us know the ratio of fairness. Not forgetting that the USA already has the Pacific Ocean as a barrier.

Not many, most. Many probably couldn't even find Japan on a map. Having the Pacific Ocean as a "barrier" between the USA and China is no kind of a barrier, the barrier is that China does not have direct access to the Pacific Ocean and the USA has troops stationed in Japan and access to Japanese ports..

Cost the American tax payers much more to have bases at home then overseas in Japan. Japan pays for all the infrasture and utilities and maintanence of it all.

The typical American has trouble telling Japan and China apart, and is only vaguely aware that there is a world that operates completely apart from the USA. Of course they don't understand the alliance.

Doesn't matter, since I don't think any president has ever won or lost an election because of their foreign policy. Americans in general just don't care what the US does overseas, as long as their favorite candidate is in the White House.

It clearly shows that many in the United States do not really understand the Japan-U.S. alliance.

Beats the merde out of me too!

It clearly shows that many in the United States do not really understand the Japan-U.S. alliance.

This comment clearly shows that at least one retired Vice Admiral in Japan does not really understand the concept of a single person's views versus a larger group's views. Donald Trump's mouth has a "shoot first, ask questions later" policy. Facts only get in the way when he's trying to show his expertise on anything and everything.