Brief Contents, 2000 - 2001
2001
Volume 15, Number 4 Winter 2001
Japan and Europe in the Global Context
- Memories and Realities: Japan and Europe in the Age of Global Anxiety (Tatsuo Arima)
In the new century, ties between Europe and Japan must be strengthened and deepened. Japan-Europe cooperation accelerated in the decade following the Cold War; today Japan and European nations can build on their common legaciesムtheir ties with the United States and their similar valuesムto overcome problems facing the entire globe. Japan must make efforts to bolster its ties with Russia and remain aware of historical sentiment in East Asia as it continues to nurture cooperation with Europe.
- The Evolution of the U.S.-EU Alliance: Post-Cold War Lessons for Japan (Hirotaka Watanabe)
Comparing U.S. security relationships in the Atlantic and Pacific regions is valuable when considering the roles and functions of alliances. Alliance members must balance cooperation and their own autonomy; as the U.S.-European alliance has matured, Europe has sought to move away from American domination and toward independence, and consultation has become a larger part of alliance activities. These trends have not progressed as far in the Japan-U.S. alliance: How will the Pacific relationship develop from now on?
- Can Koizumi the Demagogue Become a True Leader? (Shin'ichi Kitaoka)
The appearance of the Jun'ichiro Koizumi administration shows that Japanese politics is approaching a major turning point. Koizumi is opposing goals of interest groups that have long supported his Liberal Democratic Party and going beyond insider politics to appeal directly to the public. With his direct style of leadership, will Koizumi and others like him be able to inspire Japan to recover economically and move beyond the historical problems it shares with other nations?
- The Koizumi Administration: Its Significance and Prospects (Gerald L. Curtis)
Jun'ichiro Koizumi's becoming prime minister in April 2001 was a profoundly significant event in Japanese politics. His optimism and charisma set him apart from other politicians, and his popularity has helped find a receptive audience for his calls for painful reform. Traditional pillars of support for the Liberal Democrats are crumbling, as is the idea of an infallible bureaucracy. Koizumi's reform task is not an easy one, though: Can he develop the strategy he needs to win his race against time?
Volume 15, Number 3 Fall 2001
Half a Century of Japan-U.S. Relations
- The Past and Future of the Japan-U.S. Alliance (Akio Watanabe)
Japan and the United States have seen their security relationship develop in the postwar era in ways that require thought about the nature of an alliance. This "unique relationship," with Japan seeking its own national security and America pushing at times for a more international outlook, has had positive and negative connotations for both partners over the years. In recent decades a number of crises and the cold war's end have spurred efforts toward a redefinition of the alliance; the nations must continue to work together to create a new order in the Asia-Pacific region.
- Japan-U.S. Economic Relations: Past Frictions and Future Challenges (Mitoji Yabunaka)
Economic ties between Japan and the United States since World War II have gone through several stages. America began by sheltering Japan under its powerful economic wing, but gradually the relationship grew into one of limited trade friction and then full-scale economic rivalry. Now that this friction has melted away once again and new leadership in Japan is pointing the way to reform, it is time to reexamine the history of relations between the economic powers to chart a constructive, cooperative course into the future.
- Asia-Pacific Regionalism and Japan's Strategy (Ippei Yamazawa)
As economic globalization has advanced, a major component has been the rise of regional trade agreements and customs unions. Although East Asia has seen few moves toward such agreements so far, the region's countries are beginning to look seriously at free-trade and other preferential agreements. Japan, long committed to a multilateral approach to trade issues, must adopt a flexible approach to this new regionalism. Faced with the existence of the European Union and the upcoming Free Trade Area of the Americas, Asia must also adopt a more regionalist stance―perhaps through the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
- Missile Defense and Japan's Security (Satoshi Morimoto)
Ballistic missile defense has become a hot issue as the threat of missiles possessed by an increasing number of nations has grown. In particular, U.S. moves to develop its National and Theater Missile Defense systems have sparked debate around the globe. Japan must examine a range of factors―domestic politics and public opinion, the regional security situation, its own defensive capabilities, and the views of nearby nations, to name a few―as it determines how to work itself into American missile-defense plans.
Volume 15, Number 2 Summer 2001
A Century of International Relations
- Globalization and Change in the International System (YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO)
Globalization is a complex force operating in a wide range of modes. Examining the international system as a form of social system can illuminate the ways in which globalization functions within that framework.
As it operates in the worldwide realms of the economy, values, societal constructs, and politics, globalization effects change in them both individually and holistically.
Its role in world history can be positioned in various ways; these modes must be viewed comprehensively to reveal the true significance of this process.
- Japan's Diplomacy in the Twentieth Century (HIROSHI NAKANISHI)
Japan's foreign policy in the 1900s was a dynamic process that took it through five distinct stages.
Up to the end of World War I the nation built an empire and came to rival the Western powers on the world stage; it then saw that empire crumble completely with its defeat in World War II; it meshed into the cold war structure and rebuilt itself economically following the war; from the 1970s it focused on its economic strength, building it up and using it as a foreign policy tool; and in the post-cold-war era it began moving away from purely economic diplomacy to take part politically in the international arena.
Looking at this broad trend outlines some weaknesses that must be overcome if Japan is to play a useful role through diplomatic means in the future.
- U.S. Foreign Policy in the Twentieth Century (OSAMU ISHII)
America's diplomacy over the last hundred years was largely rooted in the nation's capitalist, liberal democratic nature.
The twentieth century saw the United States rise to superpower status, economically and later militarily, and its early isolationism gave way to active internationalism.
Conflicting voices at home pulled the nation in different directions throughout the century, though: While some wanted America to focus its energies on domestic issues, others pressed for a projection of U.S
influence overseas. In the new century Washington will have to remain engaged with the world without becoming an overbearing "crusader state."
- Northeast Asia and Russian Natural Gas (VLADIMIR IVANOV)
As Northeast Asia rises in prominence in the world economy, its energy needs and the concomitant political and security problems will also grow.
Natural gas resources in Russiaユs eastern territories could be a central factor in energy policy in the region.
To take advantage of this relatively nearby source of power, Northeast Asian governments will have to reexamine their energy strategies in the context of sustainability, environmental issues, and regional international relations.
Volume 15, Number 1 Spring 2001
The U.N. Millennium Assembly
- Issues for the United Nations in the Twenty-first Century (Hisako Shimura)
Heading into the new century, the United Nations must build on its past
actions in the field of peacekeeping as it develops its approach for the
future. In recent reports the organization has turned a more critical
eye on its operations and become aware of the need to boost
peace-building efforts, situate peacekeeping as a core U.N. function,
and otherwise refine its policy tools in preparation for the crises it
may face in the new era.
- Challenges for the United Nations: A Japanese View(Yukio Takasu)
At the end of its first half-century, the U.N. faces a rapidly changing
world. From Japan's perspective, there are a number of areas on which
the international body should focus from now on. Human security should
be a primary concern of the U.N. as it formulates policies. Its
functions must be strengthened if it is to respond effectively to
conflicts and other crises in the world of the future. Reforming the
Security Council and shoring up the U.N.'s financial base will also be
key steps in adapting the body to the new century.
- Japan and Taiwan: A Neglected Friendship (Satoshi Amako)
Since the end of World War II Japan-Taiwan relations have been a
valuable prism through which to view Japanese relations with China as a
whole. Until formal diplomatic ties were severed in 1972 Japan was
largely pro-Taipei, although some pushed for open channels to the
mainland. While formal relations cooled after the break, economic ties
were strengthened, as were academic and cultural interchange. The
picture has changed again since the end of the cold war: What should
Japan's role now be with respect to the Taipei-Beijing dynamic?
- Japan and the Information Technology Revolution (Akio Akagi)
Last year the IT Strategy Council was launched to examine possible
courses for Japan to follow in the digital age. Its recommendations
eventually took the form of a new IT law, but this was in many ways a
flawed document that lacked focus and glossed over some critical issues.
Japan will have to give serious thought to the future of
telecommunications and many underlying issues if IT is to become a
beneficial force giving the country a way out of its economic straits.
- Proposing a New Japan (Hayao Kawai)
In a January 2000 report, a blue-ribbon commission presented its views
on goals for Japan to pursue in the twenty-first century. The group's
members saw a Japan at a critical turning point, and their
recommendations are meant to equip the nation with the ability--at both
the national and individual level--to overcome the crisis. From
nurturing mature governance to rethinking education and reforming
government from the ground up, the report's recommendations are
wide-ranging, forward-looking, and optimistic.
- New Year Editorials Seek to Boost Japanese Morale (Hiroshi Fujita)
A veteran journalist takes a look at the trends and views in the first
editorials published by Japan's major daily newspapers in the
twenty-first century.
Volume 14, Number 4 (Winter 2000)
Perspectives on Conflict Prevention
- Human Security and Conflict Prevention (Ryokichi Hirono)
Armed conflict in developing countries has taken a huge and rising toll over the last decade.
Statistics make it clear that insufficient development provides fertile ground for conflict to take root.
Domestic political leadership can be a tool for growth, but the international community, including Japan,
has a role to play in fostering human development in conflict-afflicted nations.
- Conflict Prevention: The Issue of Small Arms (Mitsuro Donowaki)
Small arms have attracted growing attention as a major component and exacerbator of regional and internal conflicts.
The United Nations has moved to confront this issue,
and reports and recommendations from U.N. groups will culminate in a conference on small arms in 2001.
NGOs have a growing role to play, and Japan also should maintain its active stance on the problem.
- The Role of the NGO in Conflict Prevention (Nobuhiko Suto)
The end of the cold war brought about new recognition of human-security problems faced around the world.
These problems are not easily overcome by states or traditional international organizations.
NGOs have stepped in to fill this need,
often succeeding in challenging regions of conflict. How will these groups,
which are now joining forces with business and government,
develop their activities in the new century?
- The Unfinished Business of Political Reform (Hideo Otake)
The June 2000 general election shed new light on the Japanese political world and on the need for continued reform there.
Reform attempts made by three non-LDP political groups in the 1990s failed when the groups could not maintain a common front.
JapanOs economic woes kept the LDP from pushing through its own brand of reform;
since then politicians have struggled to find a new approach.
- The Making of a Summit: Kyushu-Okinawa in Retrospect (Yoshiji Nogami)
As the last G8 summit of the twentieth century,
the Kyushu-Okinawa Summit was a key opportunity to define issues for the group to tackle in the coming century.
The unexpected choice of venue was meant to offer the world a view of Okinawa, and the island hosted a valuable, productive gathering.
The 2000 summit was a springboard for the G8, which has set new goals and lines of effort for the twenty-first century.
2000
Volume 14, Number 3 (Fall 2000)
Japanese Diplomacy and International Politics into the New Century
- International Political Theory in the Two Postwar Periods (Yoshinobu Yamamoto)
An examination and comparison of theories of international relations in the periods following the end of World War II and the end of the cold war is helpful in grasping how overall perceptions of dynamics between nations have shifted during the twentieth century. While sweeping debate between realism and idealism marked the earlier postwar period, since the end of the cold war three trends have shifted the field in new directions: peace among major powers, instability among minor ones, and advancing globalization. Understanding and explaining these trends has become the main task of international relations studies over the last decade.
- Challenges for Japan's Foreign Policy Future (Takakazu Kuriyama)
As we enter the new century, three vectors of change are sweeping international society. Democratization and a shift to market economics, globalization, and multipolarization are defining the environment in which we must mold a new international order. Japan should participate in this creation process through proactive foreign policy focused on market democracies and the Asia-Pacific region; the nation must also boost its presence on the international stage.
- The Idea of Europe and the Role of Japan (Seiichi Kondo)
European integration, as an effort to create global governance by relinquishing power to civil society, is an experiment with international significance. Along with democracy and market economics, the religion-based doctrine of メjust war,モ individualism, and a unified European identity are contributing to the regionユs integration drive. The approach has engendered economic, political, and cultural contradictions, though, which will bear watching. Japan has a key role to play in relation to this process: The country must seek to form a comprehensive world-system making room for the new shape of Europe and universalizing its admirable points.
- The Current State of Decentralization in Japan (Wataru Omori)
In July 1999, four years of effort by the Committee for the Promotion of Decentralization blossomed in the reform of 475 laws to boost local fiscal and administrative autonomy. A review of the activities of and issues tackled by the CPD clarifies the course decentralization has taken to date and the problems that remain. Progess has been made since the Diet first moved to promote decentralization in 1993, but shifting authority from Tokyo to prefectural and municipal governments will continue to be a key task as Japan moves into the twenty-first century.
Volume 14, Number 2 (Summer 2000)
Japan Moves Toward Revitalization
- The Prospects for Japan: From Economic Revival to a "Soft Power"
(Heizo Takenaka)
Japan's economy has been slowed by problems on three fronts:
low growth rates, a transformation of the global economy, and
ossified Japanese approaches to business and finance. The country
must fight back with measures in three areas: confronting the
immediate crisis, implementing structural reforms, and sparking
societal change. Reshaping Japan as an attractive "soft
power" will ensure its future success.
- Reforming the Financial System to Revitalize the Economy
(Kazuhito Ikeo )
Although the Japanese economy has entered a cyclic upturn, its
structural weaknesses still require attention. Japan's industrial
structure leans heavily to manufacturing, and services, particularly
in the finance sector, must be strengthened. Some steps have
been taken to clean up the aftermath of the bubble economy, and
the Big Bang reforms are progressing, but much work remains to
create a financial system for the future.
- The Myth of Japan's Harsh Terrain for Start-Ups
(Kazuo Koike)
Japan is often described as a hostile environment for ventures,
but examining basic data on businesses and employment paints
a different picture. Figures show that Japanese entrepreneurs
take more risks, starting up small businesses and seeing them
fail, than is generally assumed. Both new growth industries and
established competitive ones are hotbeds of start-up activity;
e-commerce is also expanding fast.
- Japan's Declining and Aging Population
(Naohiro Yashiro)
Lower birthrates and longer life expectancies are bringing about drastic change in Japan's population structure.
By shrinking the labor pool and increasing the burden on workers, this change is threatening the country's economic health. Japan should move to cut child-rearing costs and use skilled foreign labor;
it must also reform social security, improving elderly health care and allowing people to work longer.
- JIIA Chronicle
Major International Conferences and Lectures/Discussions Organized by the JIIA, January-April 2000
Volume 14, Number 1 (Spring 2000)
TOWARD THE G8 OKINAWA SUMMIT
- The Shaping of World Public Order and the Role of Japan (Hisashi Owada)
The tumultuous change of the post-cold-war era has brought the international
system to a major crossroads. The global community must now strive to achieve
a pax consortis based on shared responsibility and cooperation. Japan
should take an active part in creating this framework, giving consideration
to East Asia's relevance, a global outlook, and the importance of development.
- Okinawa: Reflections on the Postwar Years and a Vision for the Future (Keiichi Inamine)
In housing the G8 summit talks this year, Okinawa builds on its long history
of international friendship and exchange. Since being scorched in World War
II, the island prefecture has been frustrated economically; in this milestone
year, it must look forward to a future where it can rely on its own strengths
as a "Pacific crossroads."
- Preventive Diplomacy in a Changing World(Masatsugu Naya)
The term preventive diplomacy has seen its significance change along
with shifting global realities. Boundaries have blurred as preventive diplomacy
has come to encompass both conflict prevention and coercive intervention after
conflict erupts. To keep this diplomacy effective, the international community
must address its meaning for individuals, groups, and communities, as well
as consider how it is implemented with respect to states.
- In Quest of "Human Security" (Hans Van Ginkel and Edward Newman)
"Human security" represents an important conceptual leap in security considerations,
but it must be defined more clearly to be usefully addressed within an international
framework. In an era when globalization and other forces are rendering power
diffuse and pressuring states, human security is increasingly important in
the political process. Development in a broad sense and conflict prevention
will be key in creating this security.
- The Facts of the Asian Economic Crisis (Toshio Watanabe)
The East Asian economic crisis that began in 1997 was a prime example of
the working of monetary forces, and was not caused by factors peculiar to
the region. East Asian economies have great latent strength, China, meanwhile,
remains a nation to watch. How will its planned economic reforms affect its
social and political structures?
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