Nichibunken-IHJ Forum

The period of Heisei overlaps the three decades after the Cold War. During this generation the structure of international relations has been significantly changed, mainly caused by the emergence of China as a power, the gradual shrinking of U.S. commitment to international peace and security, and globalization as well, in accordance with which Japan’s foreign and security policy has been gradually shifting. On the other hand, the arguments over security issues seem to be static, typically shown by the debates on the Legislation for Peace and Security enacted in 2015. This presentation would like to demonstrate the transition of Japan’s security policy throughout the post-Cold War period by examining political debates over it.