Approaches and Challenges of Japan’s Human Security Policy: An Evaluation

The chapter attempts to unveil the approaches and challenges associated with the human security policy of Japan. During the 1990s, Japan, in collaboration with the United Nations, came up with the concept of human security, which focuses on unorthodox threats to humanity. To promote human security, Japan has made revisions to its ODA charter and emphasized investing in education, healthcare, and disaster risk reduction across the globe. However, the integration of human security into Japanese domestic policy has been minimal, resulting in an inconsistency between domestic and foreign approaches to ensuring human security in Japan. To address this disparity, this chapter employs a qualitative methodology to evaluate the evolution of Japan’s conception of human security, its implication on Japanese foreign policy, and the primary challenges associated with incorporating and implementing human security within Japan.