【Seminar Report】Japan's Evolving Security Policy Militarisation within a Pacifist Tradition

On Thursday, 2021 November 25^th, a hybrid lecture by Dr. Kyoko Hatakeyama, a professor from the University of Niigata Prefecture, was held at Ritsumeikan University’s Graduate School of International Relations Koshinkan Building at the Kinugasa Campus and online with the theme of her recent publication, “Japan’s Evolving Security Policy: Militarisation within a Pacifist Tradition.”

In the lecture, Dr. Hatakeyama explained about the behavior norm within Japan’s political parties, Japan’s arms trade ban policy, peacekeeping policy, and evolving military roles. She spoke on how Japan’s hesitation in playing a military role has resulting in the effort of strengthening Japan’s economic performance. Her presentation sought to unpack the puzzle from previous debates among political parties regarding Japan’s military role. Particularly debates involving Japan’s reluctant realism, Japan as a normal state, and constructivist’s eclectic approach.

Dr. Hatakeyama divided her findings into three main approaches, namely norms, ideas, and state policy. In the conclusion, she explained that the evolution of Japan’s security policy was a result of changed ideational balance in domestic politics and the localization of international norms as well as an unachieved equilibrium between international and domestic norms, with norms ultimately playing a considerable role in forming state policy.

The lecture involved Q&A in between slides, during which Dr. Hatakeyama and members of the audience went back and forth to dissect several questions, such as if Japan and China rivalries in the South China Sea affect the decision of Japan’s effort in its military role, what the challenges are in analyzing the findings of this research, and so on.

Written by Yami Roca and Yusy Widarahesty (Doctoral Students at the Graduate School of International Relations)