Rearmament in the Name of Peace

Japanese Pacifism and Indo Pacific Strategy in the 2010s

Abstract

At  the end of the Second World War, Japan’s newly written has created a unique constitutional pacifism in the country. Ever since, this has remained controversial with the nation’s politicians, citizens, and its international allies and rivals. After 70 years of an awkward albeit stable status quo, Japanese politicians are again attempting to redefine the state’s relationship with pacifism. In this essay I will examine this process, and the role of America and China in causing this geopolitical shift. Specifically, I will examine both the history of Japanese pacificsm, and how Japan is reorienting its strategy to counter China's expanding influence through bases in the South China Sea and the Belt and Road Initiative. This will be followed by an analysis of both Japanese-American cooperation, and how recent events in American politics have convinced Japanese leadership to pursue a more self-sufficient diplomatic strategy.