GO256: Conflict in East Asia

Professor Walter HatchColby College

Lecture 16

Foreign Policy of Japan

The Post-WWII Settlement

Article Nine of Constitution (1947)

Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes. In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.

US-Japan Security Treaty (1951)

US vowed to defend Japan against enemy attack

Japan agreed to let US station military troops on Japanese soil

Economic Superpowerand Political Weakling

How to explain the persistence of the post-WWII

settlement?

Explanation I:The Yoshida Doctrine

Living the Yoshida Doctrine

“Omni-directional Foreign Policy”

“Separating Economics and Politics”

Explanation II:Japanese Pacifism

Bowing to Pacifism

The Three Non-Nuke Principles (1968)

No productionNo possessionNo introduction

Limiting Defense Expenditures (1976)1% of GDP

Comprehensive Security (1980)Yen loans and tech assistance to Asia

Exceptions: LDP Hawks

Kishi Nobusuke

Nakasone Yasuhiro

Growing Military Expenditures

Big Defense

The First Persian Gulf War

PKO Law (1992)

Post-Cold War: New Directions?

Embracing Asia

Giving yen

Going multilateral

Seeking a seat

Consolidating the bases?

Revising the constitution?

Getting stronger?

Going nuclear?

Embracing Asia

flying geese model

Giving Yen (I)

Began as war reparations

Yen loans for resource development and infrastructure

Tied to use of Japanese contractors

Giving Yen (II)

Going multilateral

Seeking a Seat

UN Security Council

Consolidating the Bases?

Revising the Constitution?

Going nuclear?

Rough Relations

North Korea

South Korea

China

North Korea

Taepodong Missile Launch

North Korea (continued)

Yokota Megumi

South Korea

Dokdo or Takeshima

South Korea (continued)

China

Senkaku/Diaoyutai IslandsMilitary

China’s defense spendingChina’s nuclear testing (1995)Japan-US defense guidelines (1997)Japan’s support for theater missile defense

Immigration“Criminal DNA?”

The Burden of History

Yasukuni Shrine