PSC2374: Politics and Foreign Policy of Japan Spring 2016
THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY Department of Political Science Spring - 2016
Political Science 2374: Politics and Foreign Policy of Japan TIME: Wednesdays 12:45-3:15 p.m. Location: 1957 E St. Room 112
Instructor: Weston Konishi Office: Monroe Hall Room 462 Office Hours: Wednesdays 3:30-4:30 p.m. (please schedule in advance) E-mail: [email protected]
[SYLLABUS WILL BE REVISED!!!] Future changes will be marked in red
Course Description Within a forty-year period, Japan transformed itself from an isolated feudal state in the mid-19th Century into an industrial powerhouse with imperialist ambitions rivaling the Great Powers of the West. This rivalry culminated in a war of attrition with the United States that left Japan on the brink of destruction. Yet, within a decade of defeat in the Pacific War, Japan reemerged as a major economic power and crucial Cold War ally of the United States. Now, after a period of stagnation, Japan is undergoing a series of political and economic changes as well as the adoption of a more active foreign policy to cope with the rise of China and other global security challenges. Both internal and external factors will significantly shape Japan’s response to these challenges in the coming years.
This course examines these and other issues relating to the development of Japan’s foreign policy from the Meiji Period to today. Although titled “Politics and Foreign Policy in Japan”, the emphasis of this course is on the latter part of the equation. In other words, we will examine how major political events, players, norms and institutions have shaped Japanese foreign policy in the modern era and how they continue to do so as the nation confronts a range of diplomatic and security challenges today. (By contrast, this course will not delve deeply into Japanese political economy or electoral politics.) With that foundation, we will turn to an empirical analysis of the key foreign policy questions currently under debate in Japan, including the future of its alliance with the United States, its role in the international system, its growing strategic rivalry with China, and its epic struggle to overcome its wartime legacy.
Questions we will consider during the course include: How does Japan’s emergence as a modern power inform its subsequent trajectory on the world stage? What are the key domestic political norms and determinants that have shaped Japanese foreign policy? Is Japan becoming a “normal nation” and how will it choose to meet future security and foreign policy challenges as it maintains core postwar restrictions on the use of military force?
Learning Outcomes By the end of this course, students should have a firm grasp of the historical context of Japanese
1 PSC2374: Politics and Foreign Policy of Japan Spring 2016 diplomacy, the key domestic factors that shape it today, and the main challenges facing Japanese foreign policy moving forward. One test of this knowledge might be for students to be able to pick up any newspaper article on Japanese foreign policy and have a thorough understanding of the issues at hand, how those issues exist in the broader context of Japanese domestic politics and where they fit within a set of realistic policy options moving forward. With any luck, you will even be able to formulate your own—well-informed—opinions on such matters and to evaluate future developments in Japanese foreign policy based on a substantive body of knowledge and study.
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Course Assessment Student performance is assessed in five ways:
Class participation, including activity in the course blog 2 pop quizzes held at random times in the semester A midterm examination held around the half-way point in the semester Analytic paper o Details, including paper topics, handed out later A final examination, held during exam period.
Grade Breakdown The grade breakdown is as follows:
Participation 10% 2 Pop quizzes 10% (2 x 5%) Midterm 20% Analytic Paper 30% Final Exam 30%
Analytic Paper There is an analytic paper required in the second half of this class. The paper should be a maximum of 2,500 words long (or up to 5 1.5-spaced pages, including footnotes). Paper topics will be handed out during the semester.
I use the following scale for grading: A (93-100); A- (90-92); B+ (87-89); B (83-86); B- (80-82); C+ (77-79); C (73-76); C- (70-72); D (60-69); F (0-59).
Class Policies Attendance and Participation Policy I take classroom discussion and participation very seriously because these make the learning experience less passive and static and more interactive and ultimately rewarding. Students are expected to attend class regularly and to come prepared to discuss issues in depth based on the assigned reading material for that week. Although I will take attendance throughout the semester, attendance, per se, is not factored into final grades. However, participation does represent 10% of your grade and it follows that students who do not attend class regularly cannot participate regularly—and therefore will not get high marks for participation. In other words, miss too many classes and you run the risk of getting an F for participation, which can drag down the rest of your grade. Finally, the readings and lectures are complementary to one another. Exams and papers will cover material from both. It is therefore in your best interest to keep up with the readings and attend lectures regularly.
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The Bottom Line In order to get top grades in this class, students must demonstrate that they are on top of the reading material for each session, fully participate in group discussions and online forums throughout the semester, and do consistently well on the quizzes, tests, and paper. Since the reading load for this course is less heavy compared to some other courses, the emphasis of the course is on the quality of your knowledge of the material rather than the quantity of that material. The more you demonstrate the depth of your knowledge and understanding—as well as genuine intellectual curiosity for the subject matter—the more likely it will be that you get a high grade for this course. Students who believe they can get by without applying themselves fully and then trying to lobby for higher grades at the end of the semester will be disappointed by their efforts.
Academic Integrity The GW Code of Academic Integrity states that “Academic dishonesty is defined as cheating of any kind, including misrepresentation of one’s own work, taking credit for the work of others without crediting them and without appropriate authorization, and the fabrication of information.”
For the remainder of the code, see: http://www.gwu.edu/~ntegrity/code.html
Students who have been identified as breaking the code will automatically receive zero marks for the relevant course component. Students identified as breaking the code more than once receive an automatic fail for the course. Claiming ignorance about how or when to cite sources is not an excuse for academic dishonesty.
The Writing Center (http://www.gwu.edu/~gwriter/) can help you ensure you cite correctly, as well as with other aspects of paper writing.
Late Work Work handed in late will be penalized 1/3 of a grade for each day it is late. Work not handed in will receive zero marks. There are only two exceptions: illness or family emergency. You must provide written documentation, such as a doctor’s note in the case of illness or verifying documentation from your academic advisor, to be granted permission to hand in work at a later date. THIS MUST BE ARRANGED PRIOR TO THE DUE DATE.
Make Up Exams and Finals Make-up examinations will not be held unless for reasons of: 1) illness; 2) family emergency; 3) if the assessment date falls on a religious holiday. Please contact me in advance of the date if you require a make-up examination for religious reasons. The final exam is held during the final exam period at a time and location decided by the University administration, not by me. Therefore, I cannot change the exam date to accommodate travel and vacation plans and the like. Check with the University about the final exam date for this class during the enrollment period and drop this class if you believe it conflicts with your schedule.
There are no make-up quizzes so if you happen to miss the quiz on the day it is held then you will get an incomplete score for that quiz.
Support for Students Outside the Classroom Disability Support Services (DSS) Any student who may need an accommodation based on the potential impact of a disability should contact the Disability Support Services office at 202-994-8250 in the Marvin Center, Suite 242, to establish eligibility and to coordinate reasonable accommodations. For additional information please refer to http://gwired.gwu.edu/dss
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University Counseling Center (UCC) – 202-994-5300 The University Counseling Center (UCC) offers 24/7 assistance and referral to address students’ personal, social, career, and study skills problems. Services for students include: crisis and emergency health consultations confidential assessment, counseling services (individual and small group), and referrals For additional information please refer to: http://gwired.gwu.edu/counsel/counselingservices/academicsupportservices
Security In the case of emergency, if at all possible, the class should shelter in place. If the building that the class is in is affected, follow the evacuation procedures for the building. After evacuation, seek shelter at a predetermined rendezvous location. Amphibious reptilian sea creatures should be reported to campus police immediately.
Laptops and Electronic Devices Please refrain from using laptops and other electronic devices during classroom sessions as they distract attention.
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Course Readings Sections of the following books will be assigned during the semester. They cover Japan’s modern history from the perspectives of politics, the economy, and grand strategy. You can purchase them from the university bookshop or online through Amazon.com or equivalent online bookstores. Most of the other readings will be available on Blackboard. Changes in the reading material and assignments may be added to the syllabus as the course progresses.
The following two texts are required for the course and are available for purchase at the university bookstore: Andrew Gordon, A Modern History of Japan (3rd edition), (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013) [2nd edition OUP 2008 is okay. NOTE: Page numbers in this syllabus are from the 3rd edition.] Michael J. Green, Japan’s Reluctant Realism: Foreign Policy Challenges in an Era of Uncertain Power, (The Council on Foreign Relations, 2001)
Other texts that we may draw from but that are optional for purchase: Richard J. Samuels, Securing Japan: Tokyo’s Grand Strategy and the Future of Asia, (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2008) Kent E. Calder, Pacific Alliance: Reviving U.S.-Japan Relations, (Yale University Press, 2010) John W. Dower, War Without Mercy: Race and Power in the Pacific War, (Pantheon, 1987) John W. Dower, Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II, (Norton, 2000)
Blackboard Readings that are not available online through library services are available on Blackboard. Please ensure you know how to access readings and post to the Blackboard system by the beginning of semester.
We will also make use of an online forum that will be set up on Blackboard. Students are encouraged to participate in the forum by regularly posting relevant links to articles, providing commentary, posing questions on current issues, and engaging in an online discussion with fellow students. This is a great way to make the course more interactive and regular contributions will go toward grades in class participation (gratuitous comments and questions, however, will not improve your grades; contribute only if you have something of genuine interest to share with the group).
This is a tremendously exciting time to be researching and learning about Japan’s politics, economy, and foreign policy. The rapidity of recent changes and nature of the publishing business mean that academic work inevitably appears with some lag from the events of today. For this reason I encourage you to get into the habit of using online resources. It used to be that all of the major Japanese newspapers had online English editions. Now, only a few do, including the left-leaning Asahi (http://www.asahi.com/english/), and centrist Mainichi (http://mainichi.jp/english/) and the center-right Yomiuri (http://the-japan-news.com/). The major business daily is the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, or Nikkei as it is commonly known (http://www.nni.nikkei.co.jp/e/fr/freetop.aspx).
The blogosphere also has engaged the world of Japanese politics and foreign policy. The following blogs are also worth checking if you have the time. They vary in their degree of irreverence, so be warned!
Dispatch Japan (http://www.dispatchjapan.com/) Shisaku (http://shisaku.blogspot.com/)
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Japan Real Time (http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/) East Asia Forum (http://www.eastasiaforum.org/) Kirk Spitzer (http://www.kirkspitzer.com/Kirks_Site/Blog/Blog.html)
Week 1: Course Description and Introduction
Key Questions What is this course about? Why are we beginning with the Tokugawa Period? What is institutional change and how does it apply to the Japanese context?
Required Readings No required readings for this session.
Week 2 – The Meiji Period and Rise of Modern Japan
Key Questions How did Japan transition so rapidly from a feudal to a modern state? What were the key political and economic pillars of the Meiji State? What were the origins of Japan’s imperialist ambitions?
Required Readings Andrew Gordon, A Modern History of Japan, Introduction and Chapters 1, 2, 4 (3 is optional), 5-8
Recommended Readings Masataka Kosaka, “The Showa Era (1926-1989), Daedelus Vol. 119 No. 3 (1990), 27-47. 1889 Constitution of the Empire of Japan (http://history.hanover.edu/texts/1889con.html)
Film The Pacific Century: The Meiji Revolution
Week 3 – The March To War
Key Questions What were the structural weaknesses in the political system that led to military dictatorship? What external factors and events led to the outbreak of the Pacific War? What was the outcome of the war and how was it so devastating to Japan?
Required Readings Andrew Gordon, A Modern History of Japan, Chapters 9-12. John Dower, War Without Mercy, Chapters 1&3.
Recommended Readings Max Hastings, Retribution: The Battle for Japan, 1944-1945, (Vintage, 2007)
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Film T.B.D.
Week 4 – A New Beginning: The Occupation and the Immediate Postwar Period
Key Questions What were the major institutional reforms carried out by SCAP? What effects did they have on Japan’s postwar political and economic systems? How did the Cold War affect postwar Japan? What were the strategic and domestic political factors that led to the creation of the U.S.-Japan security treaty? What was (is) the Yoshida Doctrine?
Required Readings Andrew Gordon, A Modern History of Japan, Chapter 13. 1947 Constitution of Japan (http://history.hanover.edu/texts/1947con.html). John W. Dower, Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II, Chapters 1, 2, 12.
Recommended Readings Michael Schaller, Altered States: The United States and Japan since the Occupation (New York: Oxford University Press, 1997), 1-76. Herbert Passin, “The Occupation: Some Reflections,” Daedalus, Vol. 119, No. 3, 107-129. Samuels, Securing Japan, 1-59.
Film The Pacific Century: Reinventing Japan
Week 5 – The 1955 System and Japan’s Postwar Economic Miracle
Key Questions Why did the LDP dominate the postwar era? What is the developmental state and how important was it in promoting Japanese economic growth? What implications did Japan’s remarkable economic growth have for its foreign policy?
Required Readings Gordon, A Modern History of Japan, Chapters 14, 15, & 16. Chalmers Johnson, MITI and the Japanese Miracle, 1-34. Edward J. Lincoln, “The Showa Economic Experience,” Daedelus Vol. 119 No. 3 (1990), 191-208.
Recommended Readings Paul Krugman, “The Myth of Asia’s Miracle,” Foreign Affairs Vol. 73, No. 6, 62-78.
Film The Pacific Century: Inside Japan, Inc.
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Week 6 – The Collapse of the 1955 System and the Bursting of Japan’s Economic Bubble
Key Questions What led to the breakdown of the 1955 System and the bursting of the economic bubble? What impact did Japan’s economic woes have on its foreign policy?
Required Readings Gordon, A Modern History of Japan, Chapter 17. Richard Katz, The System that Soured: The Rise and Fall of the Japanese Economic Miracle, M.E. Sharpe, 1998, 165-196. Ko Mishima, “The Changing Relationship Between Japan’s LDP and the Bureaucracy,” Asian Survey Vo. 38, No. 10 (1998), 968-985.
Recommended Readings T.J. Pempel, “Structural Gaiatsu, International Finance and Political Change in Japan,” Comparative Political Studies Vol. 32 No. 8 (1999), 907-932. Yamamura, Kozo. “The Japanese Political Economy after the “Bubble”: Plus Ca Change?” Journal of Japanese Studies Vol. 23, No. 2, 291-331. Ulrike Schaede, “What Happened to the Japanese Model?” Review of International Economics Vol. 12, No. 2 (2004), 277–294.
Week 7 – Mid Term Examination
Wednesday: Exam
Week 8 – Foreign Policy of Japan in the post-Cold War Era
Key Questions How did the regional security and political environment change after the Cold War? How did Japanese approach the immediate post-Cold War era? How did the Gulf War and the North Korean nuclear crisis affect Japanese security perceptions? What were the key domestic institutions shaping Japanese foreign and security policy?
Required Readings Michael Green, Reluctant Realism, Chapters 1 & 2. Thomas U. Burger, “From Sword to Chrysanthemum: Japan’s Culture of Anti-militarism” International Security Vol. 17, No. 4 (Spring 1993), 119-150.
Week 9 – U.S.-Japan Alliance Relations
Key questions What are the new Defense Guidelines and how do they affect the bilateral alliance? Whither Futenma and Okinawa? Is this the new “Golden Era” in US-Japan relations? What challenges does the alliance face moving forward?
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Required reading Chanlett-Avery, et al, “Japan-US-Relations: Issues for Congress” Kent E. Calder, Pacific Alliance, Chapters 1, 2, 3, 6 (introduction optional)
Week 10 – The Rise and Fall of the DPJ
Key Questions What led to the defeat of the LDP and the rise of the DPJ? How did the DPJ promise to change Japanese foreign policy and what implications did that have for the U.S.-Japan alliance and Japan’s regional diplomacy? What led to the collapse of the DPJ and the LDP’s comeback?
Required Readings Gordon, A Modern History of Japan, Chapter 18. T. J. Pempel, “Between Pork and Productivity: The Collapse of the Liberal Democratic Party,” The Journal of Japanese Studies Vol. 36, No. 2 (2010), 227-254. Weston S. Konishi, From Rhetoric to Reality: Foreign-policymaking under the Democratic Party of Japan. IFPA: April 2012. Michael J. Green, “Japan’s Confused Revolution,” The Washington Quarterly January 2010
Recommended Readings Aurelia George Mulgan, Where Tradition Meets Change: Japan’s Agricultural Politics in Transition, Journal of Japanese Studies Vol. 31, No. 2, 261-298.
Week 11 – Japan and Northeast Asia
Key Questions What are the key challenges confronting Japan’s relations with China and the Korean Peninsula (both North and South Korea)? How has history impeded regional diplomacy? What is the current state of relations between Japan and its mainland neighbors and what diplomatic initiatives are underway that may change regional dynamics?
Required reading Michael Green, Reluctant Realism, Chapters 3 & 4 Toshiya Hoshino and Haruko Satoh, “Through the Looking Glass? China’s rise as seen from Japan” Journal of Asian Public Policy, 5:2: 181-198. Narushige Michishita, “Changing Security Relationship between Japan and South Korea: Frictions and Hopes” Asia Pacific Review, 2014. Narushige Michishita, “Japan-Korea ties frosty after 50 years” The Straits Times (Singapore), June 30, 2015.
Week 12 – Japan, Southeast Asia and Multilateralism Key questions
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How does Japan’s relations with Southeast Asia differ from relations with Northeast Asia? Is Southeast Asia the battleground of rivalry between Japan and China? How do Japan’s multilateral initiatives and Overseas Development Aid (ODA) support the international and regional order?
Required reading Michael Green, Reluctant Realism, Chapters 6, 7, & 8
Soft Power and Public Diplomacy Key questions What image of itself does Japan try to promote internationally? Is it successful? What are Japan’s soft power advantages and what challenges does it face in the court of international public opinion?
Jing Sun, Japan and China as Charm Rivals: Soft Power in Regional Diplomacy, University of Michigan Press, 2013. pp. 1-16 and Chapter 2.
Week 13 – The Abe Administration: A “midterm” assessment
Key Questions What goals did Prime Minister Abe set at the outset of his second term? Have they been met? What political challenges does he face at home and abroad at this stage of his tenure? What is his political legacy likely to be once he leaves office?
Required Readings Thomas U. Berger, “Abe’s Perilous Patriotism: Why Japan’s New Nationalism Still Creates Problems for the Region and the U.S.-Japan Alliance,” Japan Chair Platform Special Edition, CSIS, October 2014. Scott A. Snyder, “Assessing the First Park-Abe Summit,” Asia Unbound, Council on Foreign Relations, November 4, 2015. “Statement by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe,” August 14, 2015. Available at: http://japan.kantei.go.jp/97_abe/statement/201508/0814statement.html Jeffrey W. Hornung, “Gauging Japan’s ‘Proactive Contributions to Peace’” The Diplomat, October 27, 2015. Shihoko Goto, “Can Japan Have an Economic Grand Strategy Beyond the TPP?” The Diplomat, July 5, 2015. Richard Katz, “Voodoo Abenomics: Japan’s Failed Comeback Plan,” Foreign Affairs, July/August 2014.
Week 14 – Japan’s Place in the World: Great Power? Middle Power? Normal Nation?
Key Questions Is Japan a middle power or a great power and how does that position affect its role in the international community? What is the future of Japan’s foreign policy? Will the US-Japan Alliance remain central over the long run? Is the Yoshida Doctrine over or does it still exist in a different guise?
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Required Readings Yoshihide Soeya et al, Japan as a ‘Normal Country?’: A Nation in Search of Its Place in the World. University of Toronto, 2011. Introduction & Chapters 1, 3. Wilhelm Vosse, “Middle Power, Civilian Power or New Power?: Comparing Underlying Factors in the Security Policy of Japan and Germany” The Journal of Social Science, 2012. pp. 5-25.
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