What is it about?
The idea that Japan is playing an ‘alternative role’ in its foreign policy—that it is keeping a ‘conspicuously lowprofile’ and that its stance is in some sense ‘unique’—has been a recurring theme ofanalysis ofJapanese foreign policy. This article aims to critique this idea ofJapanese exceptionalism.
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Why is it important?
Apart from critiquing the notion of Japanese exceptionalism, the article analyzes Japan's North Korea policy to argue that Japan has exercised power by obstructing the actors involved in the Six-Party Talks. This conclusion is substantiated by comparison with Tokyo’s role in other important instances of North Korea policy coordination over the period 1993–2002. By comparing Japanese behaviour with that of the USA, China, Russia and North Korea, the article concludes, furthermore, that the concepts of ‘obstructionism’ and ‘power’ facilitate understanding of their behaviour as well—with the implication that Japan’s foreign policy is not so unique.
Perspectives
The article provides a critique of exceptionalist discourse in international relations, zeroing in on Japan.
Professor Linus Hagström
Swedish Defence University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Critiquing the Idea of Japanese Exceptionalism: Japan and the Coordination of North Korea Policy, European Journal of East Asian Studies, January 2008, Brill,
DOI: 10.1163/156805808x333947.
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