Japan's Security Policy After 9/11: Still an Anomaly or Gradually Normalizing?

Professor Sugita has a PhD in history from University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. He has almost 200 publications on topics ranging from U.S. history, Japan-US Relations and International Relations in the Asia-Pacific Region to healthcare.

This seminar examines Japan’s security policy after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. There is a strong tendency among observers to view Japan’s security policy in the post-World War II era as somehow anomalous, but gradually “normalizing” after the end of the Cold War. The argument of this presentation is that throughout the post-War period Japan has been interested not just in military security but in a comprehensive security that includes domestic tranquility and economic prosperity. As the terrorist attacks of 9/11 began to erode U.S. power and prestige, Japan was expected to play a more active security role. Japan’s security policy seemed to change dramatically, but the change was well thought out, careful, and flexible enough to avoid making Japan a permanent warmongering country and still not jeopardize the alliance with the US-Japan Alliance.

Language: English