Atlantic Council
July 2026
SCOWCROFT MIDDLE EAST SECURITY INITIATIVE
Issue brief A framework for US-Japan cooperation in the Arctic Written by Kyoko Imai, Connor McPartland, and Audrey Roh
Bottom lines up front •
Melting ice and rising sea levels increase the strategic importance of Arctic sea routes and natural resources to great power competition.
•
Washington’s withdrawal from Arctic climate research has created a vacuum, that if left unfilled by likeminded democracies is sure to be captured by adversaries.
•
In close concert with Nordic security partners, Tokyo must step up its contributions to Arctic rules-based governance by building on its foundations of scientific and environmental resilience.
Climate change and aggressive moves by Russia and China to stake out claims in the High North pose serious challenges to the rules-based order that has until recently governed the Arctic. Countries invested in and benefiting from that order have an opportunity to amplify their strategic presence and operational infrastructure. This group not only includes formally recognized Arctic states, like the United States, but also encompasses proximal maritime powers, like Japan, who will undoubtedly be affected by the geopolitical competition that ensues from the opening of new sea routes, uncovering of natural resources, and the second-order consequences of the diverse challenges facing the Arctic.
Japan’s Arctic strategy Though Japan is not an Arctic state, its status as a maritime state and proximity to the Arctic Ocean means it is easily affected by climate-driven environmental shifts, evolving maritime routes, and infrastructure changes in the Arctic. It has a long history
1.
ATLANTIC COUNCIL
of Arctic research, being the first non-Arctic state to establish an observation station and gaining Arctic Council observer status in 2013.1 Through its 2015 Arctic Policy, Tokyo has anchored its engagement around three pillars: research and development, international cooperation, and sustainable
Khang Pham, “FOIP Goes Northward: Japan’s Maritime Identity, Defense, and Rule of Law in the Arctic,” Arctic Institute, April 7, 2026, https://www.thearcticinstitute.org/foip-goesnorthward-japans-maritime-identity-defense-rule-law-arctic/; and “Japan,” Arctic Council, n.d., https://arctic-council.org/about/observers/japan/.
1