The Study of International Relations in Japan

Abstract

The development of the study of International Relations in Japan is best understood in historical perspective. Prior to 1945 the study of International Relations was conceived as an amalgamation of Law, History and Economics in the international arena.¹ It is indicative of this conception of the study of international relations that one of the oldest existing journals for the study of International Relations, Kokusaiho gaiko zasshi (Journal of International Law and Diplomacy), appeared as early as 1902. At its inception, the study of International Relations in Japan was largely understood as Diplomatic History and International Law. These two fields of study were deemed essential for the appropriate handling of International Relations as practised by the Western powers. After all, the gunboat diplomacy of the Western powers in the mid-nineteenth century forced a long-secluded Japan to open its doors. Then, as Japan emerged as a military power and acquired colonial possessions, military studies and colonial studies were added to the field. From this, it is clear that the study of International Relations was shaped by the practical needs of the newly modernising state in East Asia. In other words, the study of International Relations in Japan was a reflection of raison d’état.