The US remains the leading world power, but across the Pacific, Japan has the world’s second largest economy and great international economic clout. Some voices in the international arena have urged Japan to play more constructive and politically active roles in the international arena. This volume collects essays analyzing the key issues in Japan’s international relations as it heads toward a new world order: the pressing global and regional issues and their domestic implications, the actors, and the major policy directions.

This edited collection analyzes the innovative changes in Japan's foreign policy. Pursuing new relationships with South Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe, Japanese initiatives include regional peace-building and human security activities, Asian multilateralism, and the Indo-Pacific concept. This collection focuses on these evolving international relationships through Japan's unique approach to political change and continuity.

This edited collection analyzes the innovative changes in Japan's foreign policy. Pursuing new relationships with South Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe, Japanese initiatives include regional peace-building and human security activities, Asian multilateralism, and the Indo-Pacific concept. This collection focuses on these evolving international relationships through Japan's unique approach to political change and continuity.

This book moves away from the common belief that Japan's international relations are firmly the preserve of the national government in Japan's highly centralised political system. Examining examples of subnational governments (SNGs) across Japan the book uncovers a significant and generally unrecognised development in Japanese politics: SNGs are ever more dynamic international actors as national borders 'weaken' across the world. Exploring what Japanese SNGs do, where they do it, and why, the book considers the implications of these factors for Japan's international relations and domestic politics. By bringing to light the scope and consequences of the international actions of Japan's SNGs, this book provides a more accurate and nuanced understanding of the country's foreign policy, at a time when it is pursuing a broader and more active profile in international affairs.

Japan faces significant challenges in both traditional and non-traditional areas of national security policy as the economic resurgence of China and the loss of US hegemonic clout significantly transform the strategic landscape of the Asia-Pacific region. How is Japan coping with this new global and regional politico-security environment? What strategic moves has it taken to best position itself for the future to maximize its global and regional influence? More importantly, how is Japan perceived within the region by traditionally close regional partners such as the US and Australia, by supporters in Southeast Asia, and by new competitors - most prominently China and India? What international role do these nations wish Japan to play? In this comprehensive volume, these crucial questions are explored in-depth by a group of scholars both distinguished and diverse.

This book moves away from the common belief that Japan's international relations are firmly the preserve of the national government in Japan's highly centralised political system. Examining examples of subnational governments (SNGs) across Japan the book uncovers a significant and generally unrecognised development in Japanese politics: SNGs are ever more dynamic international actors as national borders 'weaken' across the world. Exploring what Japanese SNGs do, where they do it, and why, the book considers the implications of these factors for Japan's international relations and domestic politics.

By bringing to light the scope and consequences of the international actions of Japan's SNGs, this book provides a more accurate and nuanced understanding of the country's foreign policy, at a time when it is pursuing a broader and more active profile in international affairs.

This book examines the responses of national governments within Asia Pacific to the current security environment, and the options available to these governments for the future.

This book focuses primarily on the vents and consequences that followed the July 1997 collapse of the Thai bhat. The contributions reflect the range in approach and focus of scholarship in the region. In the first section, Gareth Evans presents a detailed overview of the conflicts that the crisis has precipitated in the region, while Bob Catley outlines the post-Cold War strategic arrangements of the region and their implications. Sang-hwa Chung provides an outline of the economic crises experienced by the worst affected countries. Iyanatul Islam discusses the implications of the crisis from US perspectives and Western institutions. In the second section, N. Ganesan, Ikrar Nusa Bhakti, Gerry Groot and Samina Ahmed examine political and strategic dimensions of the crises and the responses to them. In the third section, Stuart Harris, Akiko Fukushima, Felix Patrikeeff and Brahma Chellaney analyse territorial, sovereignty and nuclear issues arising from the crises. In the final section, Graeme Hugo, Lesley Potter and Sri Moertiningsih Adioetomo concentrate on the social, ecological and human aspects of the crises.