With the existing security issues aggravating and new security challenges emerging in the post-Cold War era, the Japanese security posture has had to change. Yet, despite the incremental alterations undertaken by the Japanese government over the last three decades and continuous debates around constitutional revision, Article 9 of the Japanese constitution stands untouched. The existing realist and constructivist approaches have succeeded in explaining either the transformations of Tokyo’s security policies or the sturdiness of Japanese security identity, omitting to account for the fluctuations in Japanese security measures. This research examines what prevented Japan from amending Article 9 in the 1990s while still allowing the state to alter its legislation and strengthen its defense capabilities. The study intends to illustrate through qualitative content analysis of the Diet deliberations that, although threat perception appears as a significant stimulus for policy alterations, variation in Japanese national security policy has its roots in Japan’s pursuit of ontological security.
This work contributes to a better understanding of Japanese security policymaking, assisting in fathoming out the current reforms and making predictions about Japan’s security metamorphosis in the future. Moreover, this paper enhances the theoretical foundation for operationalizing ontological security in international relations.

Authors:
Anastasiya Polishchuk, Waseda University, Japan

About the Presenter(s)
Ms Anastasiya Polishchuk is a University Doctoral Student at Waseda University in Japan

See this presentation on the full schedule – Saturday Schedule

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