The Kim Dae June issue: A case study in Japanese foreign policy-making

Abstract

The governmental policy-making process is a perplexing topic for studies of Japan. While pluralist theorists believe that the masses are an indispensable factor shaping domestic as well as foreign policies,1 elitist theorists propound that the bureaucracy makes major policy decisions and is free from the influence of the societal interest groups. 2 It is to this issue of policy-making that this article is directed. It aims at using a case study to explore the foreign policy-making process in Japan. Generally speaking, elitist theorists agree that a group of powerful politicians and businessmen controls the foreign policy-making in Japan. Pempel observes that a "conservative coalition" of the government, big business and finance defines the national interests and determines the Japanese foreign economic policy. 3 Like Pempel, who conceives that elites monopolize the foreign policy decisions, Scalapino expounds that "the process of formulating, executing and defending Japanese foreign policy today is in the hands of a conservative elite. ''4 An example illustrating the domination of elites in the foreign policymaking process was Prime Minister Tanaka Kakuei's visit to China. According to Fukui, the foreign policy-making process was controlled by "the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister in a commanding position and a few individual Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and opposition party politicians and half a dozen Foreign Ministry officials in supporting roles. ''5 The number of the key foreign policy-makers who arranged for Tanaka's visit to Beijing was about twelve. Moreover, the LDP, the bureaucracy and big business, to Fukui, were internally divided and their roles were subordinated to the major policymakers. Though elitist theorists concur that the number of the major foreign policymakers is small, they disagree on who is the most important actor. Ogata noticed that the business community began to pressure the Japanese government to establish diplomatic relations with China only when the foreign policy-makers advocated the implementation of such diplomacy. 6 Yanagihashi even observes that the LDP determines foreign policy-making because the "bureaucracy and big business. . , surely do not have controlling influence. ''7