This article examines the institutionalized development of diplomatic, economic, and defense cooperation between Japan and India since 2005, and whether or not both countries will move toward an alliance. To clarify further, Japan and India have disputes over territorial sovereignty with China, and China has actively expanded its military presence in the Indo-Pacific region. Thus, balancing China’s threats has become an important motive for Japan- India to develop strategic cooperation. Since September 2014, Japan and India have promoted the strategic cooperative relationship between the two countries into a “special strategic global partnership,” in which it outlined a roadmap for the strategic cooperation between the two sides to jointly develop the freedom, openness, and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region and to ensure the safety of the sea-lanes in the Indo-Pacific Ocean. However, due to the lack of domestic consensus and power projection, as well as concerns about China’s countermeasures, it is impossible for Japan and India to form an alliance targeting China now or in the near future.