Evolution of Japan’s Postwar Foreign Policy

This article traces the development of Japan’s foreign policy since the end of World War II. It asks whether the concept of a reactive state is still valid as an explanation of Japan’s foreign policy in the post-Cold War era. The article surveys the origins and key features of the Yoshida Doctrine, and discusses the limitations placed on Japan’s Cold War foreign policy. The article introduces the institutions of foreign policy making and argues that the combination of a weak executive and strong bureaucracy reinforced the continuity of the Yoshida Doctrine by curtailing the ability of prime ministers to alter the basic course of foreign policy. The article then examines the continuities and changes in Japanese foreign policy since 1990, and provides an overview of new approaches that take issue with the reactive state argument. The article concludes that Japan’s foreign policy behavior and capabilities are those of a middle power comparable to the major countries of Western Europe.