Impact of Japan's Security Strategy and Policies on U.S National Security Interests in the Indo-Pacific
Abstract
An implacable and formidable foe during the Second World War, Japan is now one of the United States' most reliable and capable allies in the Indo-Pacific. A region in transition, the Indo-Pacific includes four of the world's nine nuclear powers and the world's three largest economies. Amidst a dynamic and devolving threat environment, the region is struggling to accommodate the dominant rise of China and an increasingly capable nuclear-armed North Korea. Against this unstable security backdrop, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's administration is taking unprecedented post-war actions to ensure Japan's national security and prosperity. This study identified the Abe administration's omnidirectional "Proactive Contribution to Peace" approach to Japan's national security strategy, focusing on its diplomatic, informational, military, and economic policies. Facing a regional security order increasingly dominated by China and punctuated by DPRK missile launches, Japan is entering a realist period marked by an assertive security mindset. Its anti-war national identity, democratic model of economic success, and military support role within the U.S.-Japan alliance have historically characterized Japan's security outlook. However, Japan's controversial reinterpretation of Article 9 and emerging leadership roles in regional frameworks such as the CPTPP illustrate Japan's modern security awakening. As Japan strives to move past its imperialist wartime legacy and the security dilemma, its regional engagement and security activism may prove consequential for U.S. national security interests in the Indo-Pacific.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 15, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1088939
Entities
People
- Sung K. Hyong
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College