Military bases are a major shame and handicap for Japan, yes. But there are even Nato countries with US military bases that were able to position themselves towards the emerging Global South, including BRICS. Japan stubbornly refused to do anything in that direction. So much so that when the Ukraine War started and the division between the Angloamerican West and the Global South became visible, the former prime minister of Japan who was advocating getting along well with Russia was assassinated by a 'crazy loner' - as it so happens in every period in Japan where there is a major politician who advocates something that goes against the incumbent establishment thinking. Then Japan jumped on the US bandwagon hard and positioned against Russia, China and the emerging Global South they lead. The result? They are literally eating their words and going to the Global South after getting backstabbed by the US today. This is the fault of the Japanese establishment elites who stubbornly kept loyal to the US and repressed anyone who advocated to the contrary. They must take the blame for this.