Tokyo's Policy Responses During the Gulf War and the Impact of the "Iraqi Shock" on Japan

Before the outbreak of the Gulf conflict, Japan was cautious in playing an active role in international affairs, commensurate to its status as an economic superpower. Large scale international criticism of Japan's response to the Gulf crisis, especially from Japan's ally, the United States...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pacific affairs 1992-07, Vol.65 (2), p.161-181
Main Author: Purrington, Courtney
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Asia
Cold wars
Diet
Foreign affairs
Foreign policy
Government
Government crises
Government reform
Gulf War
International politics
International relations
Japan
Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf War
Policymaking
Political parties
Political reform
Reforms
War
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Summary:Before the outbreak of the Gulf conflict, Japan was cautious in playing an active role in international affairs, commensurate to its status as an economic superpower. Large scale international criticism of Japan's response to the Gulf crisis, especially from Japan's ally, the United States, shocked Japan. As a result, the Japanese government undertook the unprecedented dispatch of the military abroad for active duty in minesweeping operations for the first time in the postwar period. The "Iraqi shock" also softened the public's attitude towards the SDF, including its dispatch abroad. As a result, the government is attempting to legislate changes in SDF law so that the military can participate in U.N. peace-keeping operations, and is embarking on a process of political and administrative reforms so that Japan will be equipped to play a responsible leadership role in international affairs during the twenty-first century.
ISSN:0030-851X
1715-3379
DOI:10.2307/2760167