Special Issue on Japan's Diplomacy between the East and the West
The HJD special issue "Japan's Diplomacy between the East and the West," explores the evolution and contemporary practice of Japanese diplomacy.
After recent HJD special issues on China's Global Diplomacy (2021) and Caste in Indian Diplomacy and International Relations (2025), we are delighted to demonstrate that HJD is committed to a better understanding of Asian diplomacy and to a greater contribution by Asian scholars to our field.
This unique, 248-page issue addresses debates in diplomatic studies and Japan studies, and professionals interested in Japan's global role will also find it of interest. It examines topics such as Japan's health diplomacy, its post-coup engagement in Myanmar and Afghanistan, the role of special envoys, subnational diplomacy in US-Japan relations, the history of Japan's cultural diplomacy, its strategic partnerships, energy cooperation, legal diplomacy, and disaster management. Together, the special issue provides a nuanced account of Japan's diplomatic agency and its evolving role as a liminal middle power navigating the competing demands of East and West.
In the introductory article, by guest editors Saori Katada, Akiko Fukushima and Atsushi Yamada, the authors trace more than 170 years of Japanese diplomacy, examining how Japan has adapted to changing regional and international conditions. They also provide the conceptual framework for the special issue by situating its contributions within four established approaches to the study of Japanese diplomacy: security, identity, economic power and cultural influence.
HJD is very grateful to the sponsors of the 2025 workshop and symposium that kicked off this research effort: Toshiba International Foundation, the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Leiden Asia Centre, and the Institute of Security and Global Affairs at Leiden University Centre.