Unit 1

Significance of Japan’s

International RelationsProf. Glenn Hook

Aim

To introduce the module and the significance of

Japan’s international relations in three dimensions:

politics, economy and security relations with East

Asia and the U.S.A.

Objectives

(1) To demonstrate how the perception of Japan’s role in

the world has changed over the post-war period and

posit its ‘normality’; 　

(2) To discuss why Japan matters in politics, economy

and security;

(3) To illustrate the central role of the U.S. and East Asia

in explaining Japan’s international relations.

Changes in perception: debates onJapan’s international relations

1. Metaphors of change

• Politically: from a challenger to an established member of the

international community;

• Economically: from the devastation of the war to its economic rise;

• Security: from militarism to anti-militarism; from a pacifist state to a

normal state.

Japan’s Rise from the Devastation of the War

Changes in the perception of Japan’s role in the world

2. Metaphors of challenge:

• Politically: Axis powers (1930s);

seeks UN security council seat;

• Economically: economic challenger

in a range of industrial sectors;

• Security: idea of human security as a

challenge to military based security.

Japan’s Changing Security Role

Japan Coast Guard patrol boat equipped with State-of-the-art weaponry deployed in the East China Sea

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Changes in the perception of Japan’s role in the world

3. Metaphors of contradiction

• Politically: imbalance between its political weight and its

economic power;

• Economically: geographic size of the country and its high

living standard;

• Security: economic power and prevention of nuclear power

and vast military arsenal.

Changes in the perception of Japan’s role in the world

4. Metaphors of capriciousness• Politically: erratic focus of Japan’s international relations,

shaped by changing leadership (seven different premiers in

five years);

• Economically: soaring budget deficit, but pledges to maintain

international contributions as and when deemed beneficial;

• Security: fluctuating debates on normalization, JSDF

overseas dispatches, the military rise of China, and the

positioning and utility of US bases in Japan;

Japan’s last eight premiers

(From left: Koizumi, Abe, Fukuda, Asō, Hatoyama, Kan, Noda, Abe)

Changes in the perception of Japan’s Role in the world

• Summary(1) These metaphors are used with political purposes to

characterize Japan as an aberrant international actor;

(2) In this course, we aim to explain Japan’s normality by using

structure, agency and norms to analyze its behaviour.

Why Japan matters: politics, economics and security

During the Cold War period:

• Politically:

One-sided peace treaty; fight with U.S. against communism;

Bretton Woods Institutions; World Bank and IMF; UN (1956-);

OECD (1964); G7 (1975);

• Economically: key economic actor second to U.S. (GDP);

important donor since 1980s;

• Security: peace treaty with U.S.

Why Japan matters: regional and global perspectives

During the post-Cold War period: • Being more proactive not reactive;

• Politically: more active in international institutions (e.g. UNSC,

G7/8, G20, WTO, IMF, ASEAN, etc.);

• Economically: GDP No.3; yen as a key currency; connecting

three core regions of global political economy; promote

economic integration of the region; etc.;

• Security: key ally of U.S. in East Asia; more proactive in

supporting U.S. militarily; its increased military strength.

Significance of Japan’s international relations: US & East Asia

In relation to the U.S. • Politically: closely tied by their shared political objectives;

• Economically: Japan as a main investor and player in the

U.S.; helps maintain the health of the American economy;

• Security: increased collaboration in military services: U.S.

nuclear umbrella and Japan’s military bases;

Japan-US relations

PM Abe in the US Congress 29/04/15Source: Andrew Harnik/Associated Press

Significance of Japan’s international relations: US & East Asia

In relation to East Asia:

• Politically: legitimacy deficit; Japan being more proactive in

promoting multilateral organizations (e.g. ASEAN plus 3);

• Economically: as the engine of growth in East Asian

economies; economic model for E.A.; key role of ODA and

FDI for regional economic integration;

• Security: fear of militarism; Japan taking a more active

security role in E.A.

Paradigmatic paradoxes: Japan’s role in terms of what, why and how

• Japan remains highly important in international politics,

the world economy and regional and global security;

• With the US: Japan holds close economic and political ties

and is highly reliant on the US in maintaining regional and

world security;

• In East Asia.: promoting regional economic integration;

being more active in regional politics and security affairs.

Conclusion

• Changing image of Japan from an anomalous actor (until

the 1980s) to a normal state, though economic means

remain its core strategy;

• Japan matters politically: its key role in global

institutions;

• Japan matters economically: No.3 in world economy;

• Japan matters in security: more proactive; closer links

with U.S. in its military actions.

Summary

• Japan is closely tied to the U.S. politically, economically

and in security;

• Japan-US security treaty remains at the heart of their

relationship;

• In East Asia, Japan has an increasing role not only in

economic terms but also in political and security

dimension of its international activity.