This book aims to provide a glimpse into the vital debate among Japanese and Western scholars, policymakers, and private sector leaders concerning Japan's future course-a process with implications extending far beyond Japan to the entire world political system.

Despite Japan's status as a global economic power and its position as the world's second-largest market economy, institutional, historical, and cultural factors have combined to limit Japan's political and military roles. In this volume, a reprint of a 1983 issue of the Journal of International Affairs (JIA), a group of prominent Japanese and American scholars address Japan's potential for an expanded world role and the responsibilities and policy choices entailed in becoming a truly global power. Some of the specific issues covered include East Asian regional security, international trade, and Japan's relations with the United States, China, and the European Community.