Review: Asia: Japan's Foreign Policy
| DOI | 10.1177/002070207503000226 |
| Author | William Saywell |
| Published date | 01 June 1975 |
| Date | 01 June 1975 |
| Subject Matter | Review |
364
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL
JAPAN'S
FOREIGN
POLICY
F.C.
Langdon
Vancouver:
University
of
British
Columbia
Press,
1973,
xiv,
231pp,
$9.00
This
is
not
a
survey
of
postwar
Japanese
foreign
policy,
but
a
brief
discussion
of
the
major
features
of
that
policy,
particularly
since
196o.
Langdon's
thesis
is
that
Japan
has
been remarkably
successful
in
attaining
its
three
main
foreign
policy
goals:
'prosperity,
security
and
international
recognition.'
It
has
been
largely
through
its
tremendous
prosperity
that
the
second
two
goals
have
been
reached.
With
this
kind
of
emphasis
on
the
the
economic
side,
it
is
to
the
author's
credit
that
the
study
only occasionally
reads like
a
study
of
trade,
tariffs,
and
textiles.
In
fact,
Langdon
is
at
his
best
in
describing
the links
between
the
three
policy
goals.
One
of
the
most
interesting
sections
is
his discussion
of
Japan's attainment
of
prosperity
leading
to
its
role
of
providing
economic
assistance
(not
generous
it
should
be
added),
the
quest
for
Japanese
inclusion
in
multilateral
organizations
such
as
the
oEcD,
and
the
resulting
successful
pressure
from
other
aid-giv-
ing
nations
on
Tokyo
to
liberalize
(albeit,
slowly)
its
trade
policies.
Langdon
marshalls
an
incredible
amount
of
detailed
factual
in-
formation
and
covers
a
remarkably
broad
spectrum of
themes
in sup-
port
of
his
thesis.
Above
all
he
is
convincing
in
demonstrating
Japan's
success.
But
the
areas
of
Japanese
vulnerability
are
not
so
clearly
marked
out.
Nor
is
there
a
persuasive
demonstration
that
the
author
has
always
fully
explored
the
broader regional
context
in
which
Japanese
opportunities
and perhaps
pitfalls
exist
and
are
changing.
In
particular,
far
too
little
attention
is
given
the shifting
dimensions
of
Japan's
position
in
the
critical
triangle
of
Moscow,
Peking,
and
Tokyo. Langdon
also
seems
to
take
a
far too
sanguine
attitude
toward
increasing
Japanese
defence
expenditures
and
does
not,
it
seems
to
me,
have
an informed
view
of
China's
very
real
con-
cern
with
the
potential
military
power
of
Japan.
Despite
these
weaknesses
Canada's
leading
scholar
in
this
field
has
provided
us
with
an
excellent study, soundly
researched
and
eminently
readable.
I
only
wish
he
had
said
more.
And
that
is
a
change!
William
Saywell/University
of
Toronto
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