Looking back as his nearly three-year stint as U.S. ambassador to Japan wraps up this month, Rahm Emanuel doesn¡¯t have a single thing to point to as his top accomplishment.

That¡¯s because whittling that list down would be a difficult task.

As envoy to the United States¡¯ key partner in Asia, the former congressman, White House chief of staff and Chicago mayor oversaw arguably the most consequential shift in the bilateral alliance in decades. From Japan¡¯s plan to double defense spending ¡ª a move long urged by Washington ¡ª to an agreement to allow U.S. Navy ships to be repaired in Japan, Emanuel helped nudge and sometimes spearhead a number of moves to upgrade ties.