This course examines Japan's foreign policy and its relationship with the world since 1945. The class will be held as a seminar, and active participation is expected. There are three underlying perspectives/themes throughout the class, which we will refer to during each session.
-Realist/Strategic perspective: The US-Japan alliance is supported by the public as the best way to keep Japan safe and secure, the “Plan A” for Japan. What does Japan need to do to keep “Plan A” viable? Or, should Japan need to consider a “Plan B” or some revisions to the “Plan A”?
-Norms/Values perspective: I will discuss the four “values” inherent in Japanese foreign policy: pacifism, universal values, developmentalism, and Asianism. How do they change and intersect across time? To what extent do values matter? Are they shared by the public and reflected in policy?
-Domestic Politics/Civil-Military Relations perspective: How do Japan’s foreign policy decision-making process and institutions differ from other countries? What are its historical origins, and how has it evolved?