Japanese Foreign Policy Toward Africa During and After The Cold War Era: “Pax Nipponica” Versus “Pax Africana”

Abstract

The main objective in this chapter is not to discuss and expand much on the origins of Japanese foreign policy as the topic has been immensely written on. I examine an overview of the Japanese foreign policy toward Africa with the intention of analyzing the question of whether or not Japan, in its foreign policy, has been taking into account the ideological expressions of Africa’s struggles toward her political independence and economic development. How much did Japan appreciate pan-African perspectives in its relationship with Africa? Did (or could) Japanese foreign policy satisfy the exigencies of the defunct Organization of African Unity (OAU) and now the African Union (AU)?