Chapter Eighteen: Japan’s role in international affairs

Abstract

Strategic links between Japan and Europe during the Cold War were limited. During this period the IISS helped bridge the gap between the two, exposing its membership base to the international affairs of Asia and Japan and providing Japanses scholars, strategists and diplomats with a platform from which to amplify their voices in the West. Analyses by these experts often appeared in IISS publications, but the Institute also gained key insights through its well-established conferences and lecture series. These initiatives illuminated Japanese strategic thinking and perspectives on contemporary critical issues in Japan’s and Asia’s foreign, security and defence policy.

This Adelphi book, through its collection of earlier analysis, helps the reader to understand the evolution of Japanese strategic thought from the 1960s until today, and shines a light on the continuities and changes in this thinking. New, original analysis of the material seeks to identify areas where such thinking was prescient and remains relevant to the contemporary strategic environment, and other areas where predictions failed or assumptions were proved wrong. These new essays were also informed by interviews of Japanese senior scholars and diplomats who spent time with the IISS. This book seeks to frame, educate and guide strategic thinking on the most pressing issues of today, both in and outside Japan and Asia, and will be of great interest to analysts, practitioners and students of international affairs.

Notes

1 Sadako Ogata, ‘Shifting power relations in the multilateral development banks’, Journal of International Studies, no. 22, January 1989, pp. 1–25.

2 Kuriyama Takakazu, ‘New directions for Japanese foreign policy in the changing world of the 1990s’, Gaiko Forum, no. 20, May 1990, pp. 12–22.

3 See Ministry of Industrial Trade and Industry, White Paper (Tokyo: Government Printing Office, 1991).

4 See Barry Buzan, ‘Japan’s future: old history versus new roles’, International Affairs, vol. 64, no. 4, Autumn 1988, pp. 557–73.

5 In 1946, 33.9% of the UN’s budget came from the United States, 0% from Japan, 6.6% from France, 12% from Britain and 6.3% from China. In 1968, 31.6% came from the United States, 3.8% from Japan, 14.6% from the Soviet Union, 0% from West Germany, 6% from France, 6.6% from Britain and 4% from China. In 1989–90, 25% came from the United States, 11.4% from Japan, 10% from the Soviet Union, 8.1% from West Germany, 6.3% from France, 4.9% from Britain and 0.8% from China. See Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The UN and Japan (Tokyo: Government Printing Office, May 1990), p. 11.

6 Patrick E. Tyler, ‘Pentagon’s new world order: US to reign supreme’, International Herald Tribune, 9 March 1992, pp. 1–2.

7 Personal Communication with Atsushi Shimokobe, president of the National Institute for Research Advancement, 24 September 1991.

8 Quoted in ‘Ozawa heads new committee’, Liberal Star, 15 June 1991, p. 2.

9 Takashi Inoguchi, ‘Japan’s response to the Gulf War: an analytic overview’, Journal of Japanese Studies, vol. 17, no. 2, Summer 1991, pp. 257–73.

10 Shafiqul Islam, ed., Yen for Development (New York: Council on Foreign Relations, 1990).

11 The Japanese government is now thinking of providing official development assistance to the Central Asian republics.

12 ‘US current account deficit greatly improved to 8.6 billion dollars for 1991’, Mainichi shimbun (evening edition), 18 March 1992, p. 1.

13 Included in Japan’s surveillance are monetary policies, commodity prices, exchange rates, economic growth rates, unemployment figures, energy demand and supply rates, climatic changes, environmental deterioration, population and migration statistics, details on criminals and terrorists, literacy rates, arms production and trade, telecommunications and airline networks, transportation data, depletable resources, health and hygiene, scientific and technological developments and income distribution. Thus far, Japan has not done much monitoring of civil liberties, political freedom or human rights.

14 See ‘Training customs officials from Asian countries’, Nihon keizai shimbun, 25 August 1991, p. 3; ‘Japan extends co-operation in environmental protection’, Nihon keizai shimbun, 23 September 1991, p. 9; Okita Saburo, ‘Contributions should be based on Japanese experiences’, Asahi Shimbun (evening edition), 19 August 1991, p. 3.

15 Steven Brull, ‘Japan wants strings on aid’, International Herald Tribune, 9 March 1992, pp. 9, 11; Susumu Awanohara, ‘Question of faith’, Far Eastern Economic Review, 12 March 1992, p. 49.

16 ‘SDF personnel changes’, Asahi shimbun (evening edition), 10 March 1992, p. 2.

17 ‘Consolidating the pool of arms control experts’, Nihon keizai shimbun, 1 October 1991, p. 31.