The Shift of Japanese Foreign Policy: A Tilted Middle Way

Abstract

This paper will take a closer look at where Japanese foreign policy made three remarkably orientational changes at the historical crossroads of the Meiji restoration in 1868, American occupation in 1945–1952, and in the post-cold war era of the 1990s. During the post-cold war era, there arose prolonged policy debates where political elites in Japan reached a consensus of its foreign policy’s new direction, namely a “middle way” mainstream policy. But this “middle way” can be defined as “tilted,” meaning that under different circumstances, different ruling elites would exhibit different tendencies. The policy consensus on this is reflected in some heated internal debates, which have had a profound impact on Japan’s relations with China and the USA.