Dissertation•
Nationalism in Japan’s contemporary foreign policy: a consideration of the cases of China, North Korea, and India
01 Feb 2013-
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored how political actors manipulated the concept of nationalism in foreign policy discourse and explored how the two administrations both used nationalism but in the pursuit of contrasting policies: an uncompromising stance to China and a conciliatory approach toward North Korea under the Koizumi administration, a hardline attitude against North Korea and the rapprochement with China by Abe, accompanied by a friendship-policy toward India.
Abstract: Under the Koizumi and Abe administrations, the deterioration of the Japan-China
relationship and growing tension between Japan and North Korea were often interpreted as
being caused by the rise of nationalism. This thesis aims to explore this question by looking at
Japan’s foreign policy in the region and uncovering how political actors manipulated the
concept of nationalism in foreign policy discourse. The methodology employs discourse
analysis on five case studies. It will be explored how the two administrations both used
nationalism but in the pursuit of contrasting policies: an uncompromising stance to China and
a conciliatory approach toward North Korea under the Koizumi administration, a hard-line
attitude against North Korea and the rapprochement with China by Abe, accompanied by a
friendship-policy toward India. These case studies show how the nationalism is used in the
competition between political leaders by articulating national identity in foreign policy.
Whereas this often appears as a kind of assertiveness from outside China, in the domestic
context leaders use nationalism to reconstruct Japan’s identity as a ‘peaceful nation’ through
foreign policy by highlighting differences from ‘other’s or by achieving historic reconciliation.
Such identity constructions are used to legitimize policy choices that are in themselves used to
marginalize other policy options and political actors. In this way, nationalism is utilized as a
kind of political capital in a domestic power relationship, as can be seen by Abe’s use of
foreign policy to set an agenda of ‘departure from the postwar regime’. In a similar way,
Koizumi’s unyielding stance against China was used to calm discontents among right-wing
traditionalists who were opposed to his reconciliatory approach to Pyongyang. On the other
hand, Abe also utilized a hard-line policy to the DPRK to offset his rapprochement with
China whilst he sought to prevent the improved relationship from becoming a source of
political capital for his rivals. The major insights of this thesis is thus to explain how Japan’s
foreign policy is shaped by the attempts of its political leaders to manipulate nationalism so as
articulating particular forms of national identity that enable them to achieve legitimacy for
their policy agendas, boost domestic credentials and marginalize their political rivals.
Citations
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01 Jan 2000
TL;DR: The seeker after the truth is not one who studies the writings of the ancients and, following his natural disposition, puts his trust in them, but rather, one who suspects his faith in them and questions what he gathers from them, the one who submits to argument and demonstration, and not to the sayings of a human being whose nature is fraught with all kinds of imperfection and deformation as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Therefore, the seeker after the truth is not one who studies the writings of the ancients and, following his natural disposition, puts his trust in them, but rather the one who suspects his faith in them and questions what he gathers from them, the one who submits to argument and demonstration, and not to the sayings of a human being whose nature is fraught with all kinds of imperfection and de‹ciency. Thus the duty of the man who investigates the writings of scientists, if learning the truth is his goal, is to make himself the enemy of all that he reads, and, applying his mind to the core and margins of its content, attack it from every side. He should also suspect himself as he performs his critical examination of it, so that he may avoid falling into either prejudice or leniency. (Ibn al-Haytham)1
512 citations
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173 citations
01 Jan 2003
62 citations
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TL;DR: The Rise and Fall of Japan's LDP: Political Party Organizations as Historical Institutions by Ellis S. Krauss and RobERT J. PEKKANEN as discussed by the authors, 2010. 318 pp.
Abstract: ELLIS S. KRAUSS and ROBERT J. PEKKANEN. The Rise and Fall of Japan's LDP: Political Party Organizations as Historical Institutions . Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 2010. 318 pp. US$26...
56 citations
References
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14 Apr 2010
TL;DR: In this article, the Discourses of Identity in International Relations Theories, Identity Representation and the Context of Interactions are discussed in the context of International Relations and Social Theory.
Abstract: CONTENTS: Part I: Identity Theorising in International Relations and Social Theory - The Discourses of Identity in International Relations Theories - Identity Representation and the Context of Interactions - Part II: Historical Elaboration of Japanese Collective Identity and Japanese-Korean Relations: 1875-1989 - A Genealogy of Japaenese Identity Representation - Japanese-(South) Korean Relations in Historical Context - Part III: Japanese-South Korean Relations: 1990-1998 - The Politics of Memory in the 1990s - The Diplomatic Relations: 1990-1998 - The Economic Context of Interactions in the 1990s.
23 citations
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TL;DR: In the fall of 1991, the world witnessed the final chapter in the momentous events that had swept Eastern Europe since the revolutions of 1989: the political disintegration and collapse of the Soviet Union as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: In the fall of 1991, the world witnessed the final chapter in the momentous events that had swept Eastern Europe since the revolutions of 1989: the political disintegration and collapse of the Soviet Union. It is difficult to overestimate the significance of this culminating transformation. Not only did it introduce a further degree of uncertainty into a region that was already experiencing decisive political and economic upheaval, it also undermined a key structural principle of the postwar international system -bipolarity.1 While this latest geopolitical reformation opened up opportunities for international cooperation on the basis of shared political and economic values, it also permitted long-stifled passions to break to the surface. Many feared this dark underside of change would overwhelm the undeniable promise of the new world order.2
22 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper, the fastest growing largest economy and thereby leading a market-driven economic integration in East Asia, at the same time, nationalism is also rising and constraining East Asia.
Abstract: China is rising as the fastest growing largest economy and thereby leading a market-driven economic integration in East Asia. At the same time, nationalism is also rising and constraining East Asia...
22 citations
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TL;DR: Koizumi succeeded in strengthening the prime minister9s role in the LDP9s policymaking, although he largely failed to undercut traditional bureaucratic strength as mentioned in this paper, which resulted not only from personal factors but also the structural changes occurring in LDP politics since the 1990s.
Abstract: Prime Minister Koizumi succeeded in strengthening the prime minister9s role in the LDP9s policymaking, although he largely failed to undercut traditional bureaucratic strength. His success resulted not only from personal factors but also the structural changes occurring in LDP politics since the 1990s.
22 citations
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22 citations
"Nationalism in Japan’s contemporary..." refers background in this paper
...Furthermore, the Keisei-kai has had a strong connection with China partly because Japan’s ODA loans to China provided Keisei-kai politicians with lucrative business opportunities there (Taniguchi 2005: 452)....
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