Sigur Center Asia Report, Issue 10: After the 3/11 Catastrophe: Whither the Japanese Peace State?

Sigur Center for Asian Studies

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Sigur Center Asia Report, Issue 10: After the 3/11 Catastrophe: Whither the Japanese Peace State? Open Access

Over the past several years, foreign policy circles both inside and outside Japan have been anxious to determine whether Japan should or would develop new strategies to deal with a changing security environment in Asia. The catastrophic impact of the 3/11 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster has only heightened the sense of anxiety over Japan’s future direction. At a time of great uncertainty about Japan’s future and the implications for its foreign policy, one might instead look to Japan’s national identity for signs of continuity and consistency.