Japans bewaffneter Pazifismus Die Sicherheitspolitik einer wirtschaftlichen Supermacht seit dem Ende des Ost-West-Konfliktes

Abstract

Until the end of the Cold War, Japanese security policy was in essence directed against perceived Soviet hegemonic claims. Today, Japan faces multifaceted se­curity challenges due, inter alia, to the rise of China, the situation in the Korean Peninsula, or the conflict prone politico-security environment in Southeast Asia. Despite these challenges and due to its militaristic legacy in Asia, Japan is confronted with internal and external constraints, exerting serious influence on the formulation and implementation of an independent security policy. The article first outlines Japan's postwar security policy and gives an overview of the changed security environment, Japan is confronted with today. The final part of the article examines Japan's political and diplomatic responses to these changes. As will be demonstrated, Japan pursues an active security policy which centers around the promotion of multilateral cooperation mechanisms and its military alliance with the United States. Japan will take on a larger political role in the Asia-Pacific,however, for the time being, it still has to maintain a low key approach to security politics.