Introduction: Japan and the Reform of the Liberal International Order

Facing the rise of authoritarian states—namely Russian and China—the liberal international order has arguably declined and retreated during the last decade. The United Nations adopted a resolution condemning Russia’s invasion in Ukraine on March 2, 2022, but forty nations either voted against or abstained. Countries labelled as global swinging states or the global south criticize the liberal international order of being dominated by Western civilization. The following chapters of this book aim to find possible shared perceptions and junctures between Japan, Europe, the United States and Indo-Pacific countries, which could reform the liberal international order, giving it a more global outlook and a better reach.