Studies on Japan''s Move toward a "Normal State"2001-2007)
Date Issued
2008
Date
2008
Author(s)
Chen, Yi-Jin
Abstract
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese leaders adopted self-restraint policy which asserted “Economy first, undermining military force, and peaceful road of development” to be the base of post-war recovery. Accompanied with international tendency of pacifism and domestic constraint from Japanese Constitution, Japan defended its national security through the U.S-Japan Security Alliance. On the other hand, Japan adopted “Purely Defensive Defense” policy on national defense in order to erect the model of “a business country” and the image of “an economic power”. During 1980’s, Japan has become an economic great power. However, the existence of Constitution’s Article 9 and the extended emphasis on economic foreign policy made Japan turn to an economic giant but a political dwarf, which triggered discourses of seeking to become a “normal” state. After the end of Cold War, the accumulations of internal and external motives have made normalization move forward; the former includes “supports from domestic public opinions” and “the rise of neo-conservatism”, and the latter includes “North Korea Missile and Nuclear Crisis” and “the qualitative change of U.S-Japan Security Alliance. After Koizumi Junichiro was inaugurated as Prime Minister, the government showed strong intention to bring Japan to a normal state through passing legislation that will redefine Article 9 of the Constitution and rectify the name of Self-Defense Forces (SDF). he terror attacks which happened in U.S. on 2001/9/11 not only reinforced the relationship between U.S. and Japan, but also made progress in the normalization issue. Aside from the preparation of constitutional revision, the practical policy adjustments including “enhancing the cabinet’s decision-making capability” and “promoting the emergency decision-making process” have encouraged Japan to change its security role. To be a normal state, even a international leading power, Japan has its corresponding domestic policy and foreign strategies: On the regional and international levels, Japan consolidates the depth and breadth of U.S-Japan alliance, deals with North Korea threat and the competition with rising China, and devotes to East Asia Community to obtain national interests; on international level, Japan joins anti-terrorism peace-keeping operations, strives for a UN permanent member, and implements official development aid (ODA) policy to become a international great power. However, the policies of normalization from Koizumi Cabinet to Abe Cabinet have their effects and drawbacks which may influence Japan’s future national policies—whether the steps of transforming to a normal nation will accelerate, or stagnate.
Subjects
normal state
normalization
Pacifist Constitution
Japanese foreign policy
Koizumi
Abe
Type
thesis
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