Competing Visions of Japan’s International Engagement: Japan First vs Global Japan

ABSTRACT

The state and direction of Japan’s international engagement can best be understood as a competition between the ‘Japan first’ and ‘global Japan’ schools of thought. In light of the ever worsening security environment surrounding Japan, the gap between the Japan first school advocating a focus on the immediate needs of Japan’s territorial defence and the global Japan school arguing for more global engagement is widening. The competition between the two will continue to shape the direction of Japan’s foreign and security posture – and importantly, the global Japan school is far from winning, contrary to what Abe’s hyperactive diplomacy might suggest.

KEYWORDS:

• Japan
• Japan-US alliance
• Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF)
• international engagement
• security policy

Notes

¹ Parts of this article have been drawn – thoroughly updated, revised and expanded – from Michito Tsuruoka, Japan First Versus Global Japan. The National Interest, 14 January 2018, https://nationalinterest.org/feature/japan-first-versus-global-japan-24063.

² The poll was conducted in January 2018. Asked about their impressions on the SDF, 36.7 percent responded a “positive impression” and 53.0 percent a “somewhat positive impression”. The figure in the text is the sum of the two answers.

³ See, for example, Gustafsson et al. (2018) and Hughes (2009). For examples of literature that emphasises the evolutionary (rather than revolutionary) nature of Japan’s security and defence policy, see Oros (2017) and Liff (2015).

⁴ Information based on the author’s numerous conversations with JMSDF officers.

⁵ The figures are compiled and provided by the Japan Coast Guard.

⁶ Due to a series of United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding North Korea, it is easy to openly name North Korea as a problem or threat, whereas China requires more sensitivity. Whether China is named in public releases depends on the political context of each meeting. It is conceivable that some countries do not want to disclose the fact that they have talked about China with the Japanese Prime Minister.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Michito Tsuruoka

Michito Tsuruoka is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Policy Management at Keio University, Tokyo, Japan.