Japan’s Security Renaissance

For decades after World War II, Japan chose to focus on soft power and economic diplomacy alongside a close alliance with the United States, eschewing a potential leadership role in regional and global security. Since the end of the Cold War, and especially since the rise of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan's military capabilities have resurged. In this analysis of Japan's changing military policy, Andrew L. Oros shows how a gradual awakening to new security challenges has culminated in the multifaceted "security renaissance" of the past decade. Despite openness to new approaches, however, three historical legacies-contested memories of the Pacific War and Imperial Japan, postwar anti-militarist convictions, and an unequal relationship with the United States-play an outsized role. In Japan's Security Renaissance Oros argues that Japan's future security policies will continue to be shaped by these legacies, which Japanese leaders have struggled to address. He argues that claims of rising nationalism in Japan are overstated, but there has been a discernable shift favoring the conservative Abe and his Liberal Democratic Party.Bringing together Japanese domestic politics with the broader geopolitical landscape of East Asia and the world, Japan's Security Renaissance provides guidance on this century's emerging international dynamics.

In Japan's Security Renaissance, Oros has illuminated an intricate set of political and military developments in Japan that carry significant implications for its alliance with the United States, and indeed for security in the region. Particularly as the course of world history increasingly flows through the Asia-Pacific, policymakers, military strategists, and those simply interested in this dynamic region should consider Oros' latest book a must -read to understand the complex context and key factors that shape Japan's modern security evolution. -- Kurt Campbell, chairman and CEO of the Asia Group and former assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs Oros is superbly positioned to analyze recent policy changes in Japan. This book will fill a large gap in our understanding of the last decade or so of debate over how to adapt Japan's defense planning to significant changes in the regional balance of power. -- Sheila Smith, author of Intimate Rivals: Japanese Domestic Politics and a Rising China Oros has written a very thorough and engaged account of the development of Japanese security policy over the last decade. His narrative provides alternative insights and a wealth of valuable details and assessments. I learned a great deal from his accounts of the important trends and the key decisions. -- Dennis Blair, president and CEO, Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA, former director of national intelligence and commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Command

Andrew L. Oros is professor of political science and director of international studies at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland. He is the author of Normalizing Japan: Politics, Identity, and the Evolution of Security Practice (2008) and co-author of Global Security Watch: Japan (2010).