The Making of a European Friend: Japan’s Recognition of Independent Poland

Abstract

Official relations between Poland and Japan began with Poland's regaining of independence and Japan's recognition of it as a sovereign country in March 1919. Although the beginnings of bilateral contacts were dependent on the international situation and big-power politics, in which the government in Tokyo was involved, they were not as difficult as could be expected on the basis of geopolitical distance. Japan's policy toward Poland was in keeping with the principles established at the peace conference in Paris; it did not meddle in affairs that were not of direct interest. Whenever Japan's representatives had to speak in the international arena, mainly in the League of Nations, they expressed favorable neutrality toward Poland. But they avoided taking positions counter to that of other powers, especially Great Britain, with which Japan had the longest relationship, having been bound by a bilateral treaty since 1902. Keywords: Great Britain; Japan; Poland