Japan's Asian Policy: Revival and Response (review)

Often when a taboo is broken or a threshold crossed, the action that itself constitutes this shift is simply one of a series. To speculate that the 2001 Japanese military deployments in support of U.S. action in Afghanistan represent some form of definitive break in Japanese global and regional policy is a bit hasty a conclusion. A number of essays included in a compendium dealing with Japan's Asian Policy examine some of the contemporary underpinnings of what has been in reality a broader change in regional economic and security architecture.

In an eight-essay volume edited by University of Tokyo political scientist Takashi Inoguchi, writers explore elements of Japan's foreign policy in a regional context. Contributors address growing global interdependence, the function of ASEAN, and U.S. strategy in the region. Writing on the latter topic, G. John Ikenberry shows a U.S. desire for deeper and broader Japanese responsibility for regional security. It is this U.S. shift that underpins some of the uneasiness that comes across in five pieces dealing with bilateral relationships. These portraits are largely dominated by issues grouped under the rubric of "history"; specifically, this refers to perceptions in China, both Koreas, and Russia about Japanese society's examination of its activities in the Second World War. Sadly, this important analysis seems simply to mention recent, much-publicized controversies, while shying away from deeper assessment of the cultural and political place of this issue. To say simply that relations are complicated by history is valid; to add insight, however, requires deeper assessment, which is too often missing when a reference to "history" is made in these essays.

David Chee-Meow Sheah's piece on Southeast Asian regionalism is an exception. He argues that "history" issues have been used as part of diversionary strategies by Japan's neighbors. The piece following, by Jianwei Wang, reports just the opposite. He contends that Beijing is concerned by what it sees as "resurgent militarism" in Japan. Wang argues that the Japanese government has yet to engage in serious introspection of matters of history.

On the whole, the essays lean to the thematic. Broadly, the volume presents a state of extensive regional interdependence. This is occurring at the same time that changes in the U.S. regional presence have caused a shift in security architecture that has nudged Japan toward seeking a wider role by what the volume's editor termed "multilateralizing"—or maximizing its influence by operating in transnational organizations. Yet, rigorous analysis of internal policy dynamics and disputes in Japan is lacking. Also, many of the essays drift toward grandiose speculation on how future relations will be termed, while neglecting nuanced analysis of the diplomatic and security decisions and processes that would need to occur before these rubrics can be used without dispute.

A growing focus on Asian relations has become a solid element of Japan's foreign policy. Indeed, economic and security relations are gaining depth, and the bureaucratic networks that institutionalize these relations are growing more robust. With so much importance placed on the "history" question, one wonders just how might the related issues be debated internally in Japan, and one wonders of what similar impediments exist elsewhere to deeper regional integration. The essays allude to these questions though fail to engage them sufficiently.

That said, the inclusion of various national perspectives is of value. Purnendra Jain's piece on India's calculus is a fine addition to the book. By making a good argument for including India in the regional analysis even though it is not a Pacific state, the author has added a welcome treatment of issues of regional definition. Treating the question of Japan's assertive response to nuclear testing on the subcontinent brought to the volume an additional element of Japanese diplomacy, one that reveals something of the strong influence of many elements of the nation's World War II...