Japan's International Relations : Politics, Economics and Security

Japan's International Relations examines Japan in the world in terms of its political, economic and security role in the three core regions of the global political economy, the United States, East Asia and Europe, as well as in the key global institutions.

It provides an up-to-date descriptive and analytical account of the Japanese role in the postwar world, set in the context of Japan's emergence onto the international arena from the mid nineteenth century onwards, and focuses explicitly on the opportunities and constraints of the post-Cold War era.

The authors investigate how Japan has responded to global pressures to "liberalize" and "internationalize" as well as how it has responded to regional initiatives including; the expansion of the European Union and the launch of the single currency, the institutionalisation of APEC under US leadership and the proposal by Malaysia to establish an East Asian Economic Caucus.

This detailed and lucid volume is an essential resource for students of Asian Studies and International Politics.