Japan’s diplomatic policy toward Latin America and the Caribbean: perceptions and practices in the post-Cold War era

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Japan’s diplomatic policy toward Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) has traditionally been understood in terms of economic complementarity, development assistance, and historical ties, including immigration. It has often been seen as subordinate to Japan’s broader diplomatic agenda and international developments. However, structural transformations over the past two decades, both within Japan and globally, have led to a strategic reassessment of Japan’s relationship with LAC. Japan’s conceptual approach to its relationship with LAC has evolved from an asymmetric, demand-driven official development assistance (ODA) diplomacy to a more coordinated partnership emphasizing shared values and enhanced connectivity. This reorientation is reflected in diplomatic practices, with the Prime Minister’s Office playing a more direct role in interagency coordination: an increased emphasis is made on policy dialogues; ODA is now applied more judiciously than generously; and the local Japanese community has assumed a significant role in public diplomacy. This article traces the evolution of Japan’s diplomatic policy toward LAC, primarily between the 1990s and the 2010s, to examine how its perceptions and practices have been developed and communicated.