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[ 184 ] asia policy Normalizing Japan: Politics, Identity, and the Evolution of Security Practice Andrew L. Oros Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2008 • 304 pp. This study examines how Japan’s security policies are affected by historical legacies regarding national identity. main argument This book argues that Japanese security policy has not changed as much in recent years as many believe, and that future change will be highly constrained by Japan’s long-standing “security identity,” the central principle guiding Japanese policy over the past half century. The analysis is based on detailed exploration of three cases of policy evolution—restrictions on arms exports, the military use of outer space, and cooperation with the U.S. on missile defense—which shed light on other cases of policy change, such as Japan’s deployment of its military to Iraq and elsewhere and its recent creation of a Ministry of Defense. More broadly, the book refines how ideas interact with domestic politics and international changes to create policy change. policy implications • U.S. pressure on Japan to further normalize its security policies to play a more active military role abroad is unlikely to yield significant policy change, and may create frustrations for policymakers in both countries. • If U.S. policymakers do seek further security contributions from Japan, they should focus on contributions in line with Japan’s existing security identity, including (1) no traditional role of the armed forces in domestic politics, (2) no use of force to resolve international disputes, except in self defense, and (3) no Japanese participation in foreign wars. • Nevertheless, Japan is adapting its military policies in response to a more fluid and threatening international security environment and in light of reduced constraints from an antimilitarist left in domestic politics. Further evolution is likely, allowing new possibilities for U.S.-Japan military cooperation in areas that can be reconciled with Japan’s evolving security identity. • Recent legislative changes in Japan to allow for explicitly military activities in outer space and for a more robust and capable coast guard are two examples of major change within a flexible but important set of existing constraints. ...

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