Japan's Two Strategies for East Asia: The Evolution of Japan's Diplomatic Strategy

For much of its postwar history, Japan's diplomacy consisted of three pillars: “the United Nations centrism,” “cooperation with free countries,” and “being a member of Asia.” However, beginning in the twenty-first century, two new diplomatic strategies for East Asia have emerged. These two paths exhibit different philosophies which however share some elements. This article examines the “East Asian Community” vision and the “Arc of Freedom and Prosperity” initiative and identifies the key concepts that they share. Finally, it suggests that if Japan's two foreign policy visions were unified, the strategy would be strengthened.