Conclusion

Japan formulated its foreign and security policies within the framework of its bilateral security allianceAlliance with the US throughout the Cold WarCold War period. By the 1980s, despite being the world’s second-largest economy, Japan maintained a relatively low international profile, prompting domestic debates and international criticism about Japan’s passive role in global security efforts. The collapse of the Soviet UnionSoviet Union in the early 1990s marked the end of the bipolar world order and the rivalry between the US and the USSRUnion of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in East AsiaEast Asia. This geopolitical shift reduced the influence of both superpowers in the region and provided Japan with an opportunity to pursue a more independent foreign and security policy beyond its allianceAlliance obligations with the US. Japanese leaders identified the Asia–PacificAsia-Pacific region as pivotal for Japan to assume a more proactive role in shaping the post-Cold War international orderInternational order. However, Japanese policymakers faced several challenges. First and foremost was the lingering insecurity and historical animosities stemming from Japan’s militarismMilitarism and aggression during WW IIWorld War Two (WW II), which strained relations with its Asian neighbors. Unresolved territorial disputes and deep-seated distrust further complicated regional dynamics. Consequently, Japan sought to broaden its security and foreign policy beyond its Cold War-era bilateral security allianceAlliance with the US, which had been primarily focused on countering the Soviet threatSoviet threat.