Nakato, Sachio

Abstract
There are two predominant views of Japan’s foreign policies specifically in regard to its North Korean policy. On one hand, some emphasize the Japanese dependence on the United States and assert that Japan can even be seen as a client state or dependent state. On the other hand, others warn of the possibility that Japan might go nuclear. These two views portray Japanese foreign policy in quite different lights. This paper suggests that neither of the above expressed views encompass the true nature of Japan’s North Korean policy and instead employs the concept of responsive engagement in order to explain Japanese foreign policy toward North Korea. Responsive engagement argues that it is virtually impossible for Japan to go nuclear as long as the U.S.-Japanese alliance exists and domestic norms on nuclear weapons continue in Japan. The paper also suggests that responsive engagement is different from the concept of the client or puppet state in the sense that Japan pursues its own national interests, though the strategic alliance with the U.S. does heavily influence Japanese foreign policy toward North Korea.
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