Japan's Middle East Security Policy: Theory and Cases(The University of Sheffield/Routledge Japanese Studies Series)

This study examines how Japanese policy toward Middle East security issues is shaped by the need to both maintain Japan’s security alliance with the US and its oil relationship with states in the Middle East. Yukiko Miyagi introduces the historic roots of Japan’s policy, and then focuses on the major contemporary cases – the Iraq war, the Iranian nuclear crisis, and the Arab-Israeli conflict, to expose and explain how clashing interests and dilemmas were negotiated to arrive at policy outcomes. The author also sheds light on the utility of mainstream International Relations theories for understanding Japan’s behaviour. How do we understand the policy of a self-declared ‘anti-militarist’ state forced to operate in a realist world and for whom energy supplies are a matter of vital national security? This study shows how neither realism nor its rivals, such as constructivism, can wholly explain Japan’s behaviour and suggests a theoretical framework for doing so. Filling a major gap in our understanding of an increasingly important area of study Japan’s Middle East Security Policy is an essential read for those interested in Japan’s International Relations, Middle East politics, security studies and foreign policy.

Table of Contents:
1.Introduction: Aims, Debates and Theoretical Framework 2. Japan's Policy Towards Middle East Security Issues: An Overview 3. Policy Determinants and the Policy-making Process 4. The Iraq War 5. The Iranian Nuclear Crisis 6. Syria Under US Hostility 7. Conclusion: Findings and Implications

About the Author :
Dr. Yukiko Miyagi is CASAW Fellow in Middle East Security in the School of Government and International Affairs, University of Durham, U.K.

Review :
"Yukiko Miyagi's volume fills a major gap in the literature on Japan's relations with the Middle East. This volume makes a major contribution in expanding our theoretical understanding of Japan's engagement of the region, by providing an integrated framework of analysis combining international systemic factors, US-Japan alliance considerations, and domestic norms and policy processes. It provides splendid and up-to-date empirical detail on Japan's reaction to security issues in the Middle East involving energy, nuclear and other security issues. This book is an essential read for scholars and students interested in Japan's ties with the Middle East and its emerging global security role." Dr Christopher W. Hughes, Reader (Associate Professor). University of Warwick, UK "This is the first work seriously undertaken on Japan's policy toward the Middle East. Miyagi's book is the best work ever in this field, showing how various patterns of Japan's policy are shaped in the condition when it is torn between the Middle East and the US, with deep theoretical analysis and rich empirical data. Her work contributes greatly to understand Japan-Middle East relations and opens a new frontier to study the Japanese foreign policy." Keiko SAKAI, Professor, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Japan "This book is a valuable addition to the study of Japanese foreign policy making. It offers comprehensive analyses of the shift in Japan's Middle East policy from the traditional pro-Arab attitude based on its energy-vulnerability to the proactive support to the United States with historical, theoretical and policy-process perspectives." Tomohito Shinoda, Professor of International Relations International University of Japan "Clearly and concisely written, this volume is an excellent example of a qualitative study integrating elements of diverse theories within a specific context to arrive at a richer understanding of practical policy making. Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels." - CHOICE, Aug. 2009 Vol. 46 No. 11