The Change of the Japan’s Concept of National Role and Foreign Policy Principles: From a Peaceful State to a Peacekeeping State
Subject Areas :Mohammad sadegh babakan 1 , Majid Takht-Ravanchi 2
1 - Postgraduate in regional studies at school of international relations and foreign affairs
2 - Assistant Political Agent of the President's Office
Keywords: Diplomacy, peacekeeping state, absence of prestige, humanitarian security, Japan&rsquo, s foreign policy principles, Keywords: Conception of national role,
Abstract :
Abstract: From the Beginning of the 21st century, Japan is passing through a transition period, a period in which it tries to achieve a new concept of national role. The present article believes that as a consequence of international pressure, changes in domestic leadership and social norms and an increasing aspiration for honor in international relations, Japan has been changing its foreign policy measures and its national role conception. The change in Japanese foreign policy demonstrates itself implicitly in Japan’s international peacekeeping acts and the appending new legislation “imposing effective limitations on its armed forces”. The purpose of the present study is to find a concept of the national role that best describes the goals and principles of Japanese foreign policy. The fundamental question of the article would be: what is the main reason of the change in Japan’s foreign policy principles? The underlying hypothesis is that pursuing the path of dependency has been the main factor for the change of Japan's foreign policy and the pressure emanating from dependency has directed Japan towards cosmopolitan path. The finding of the study shows Japan is now facing an uncertainty in its foreign policy and it has to choose between continuing inward looking foreign policy along with high dependency on the United States or internationalist principles as a peacekeeping state with normal defense policies. The methodology used in the paper is descriptive-analytical based on library sources.
_||_