This is a pioneering study of a worsening human rights issue, supported by documentary evidence (Part I) with Part II providing an extensive collection of primary sources, including international covenants, US Trafficking In Persons and Congressional reports, and Japanese government papers.

The author describes and assesses how the United States, post-1945, has deployed public diplomacy to lead the global fight against sexual and labour trafficking. In particular, it traces how the US has named and shamed its key ally Japan to improve its human rights performance as measured by US annual listings of trafficking activity. Japan's belated attainment of Tier One ranking suggests that the US in some circumstances has been able to succeed in its declared ‘war’ on domestic and international trafficking.