Japan’s alliance pattern is bandwagoning rather than balancing

Evidence

Hence, Japanese alliance behavior has been “basically bandwagoning, not balancing” and “alignment with the dominant power.” The Japanese, one long time Western resident there agreed, “are quicker than most to bow to force majeure and cooperate with perceived moral superiors.…and quickest to resent abuse from a morally flabby, retreating hegemon.” — Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations and the…, 648

Categorization

• QUESTION: Is Japan genuinely a bandwagoner, or is this a Japan-specific exception to balance-of-power theory worth testing against other middle powers?