Course Outline
This course explores Japan’s foreign policy from the late nineteenth century to the present, with particular emphasis on the post-World War II era. Rather than focusing purely on history, we will get deeper analytical and critical insights into Japanese foreign policy by using theoretical frameworks developed in the field of international relations. We will cover the origins of the modern Japanese state and Japanese nationalism, the general historical trajectory of Japan’s strategic behavior, and contemporary discussions on foreign policy issues facing Japan.
The aim of this course is to provide students with critical insights into Japan's foreign policy and its role in international politics. To this end, students will read broadly on Japanese foreign policy and international relations theory and discuss the readings critically in the classroom. Through the lectures, students will gain a deeper understanding of the forces shaping Japanese foreign policy, Japan's agency over its actions, Japan's domestic politics over national security policy, and Japan's newfound role as a protector/builder of the so-called liberal rules-based international order.