【Special Lecture】Designing Grand Strategy for Reiwa Japan

Guest Lectuere: Professor Tsuyoshi Kawasaki (Simon Fraser University, Canada)

Professor Tsuyoshi Kawasaki (Simon Fraser University, Canada) specializes in international relations generally and Japan foreign policy in general. On Thursday, May 16th, 2018, he gave a passionate and thought-provoking lecture at Kinugasa Campus, Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto. The lecture was hosted by Ritsumeikan University's Graduate School of International Relations and Institute of International Relations and Area Studies. 

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Prof. Kawasaki’s lecture, “Designing Grand Strategy for Reiwa Japan”, was based on his recently published book titled 大戦略論 (On Grand Strategy). Prof. Kawasaki divided into two main parts, with the first part laying out the basics of grand strategy and how it differentiates itself from military strategy due to its all-encompassing nature, which could include economic, political and cultural aspects. Prof. Kawasaki also explained how grand strategy is used by status quo powers—such as the United States—to maintain its standing in the existing international order vis-à-vis revisionist powers—such as the PRC—who seeks to increase its standing. Prof. Kawasaki further spoke of how grand strategy is built upon a combination of elements of order—which includes territorial arrangements, legitimacy and institutions—as well as base of power, which includes military might and economic prowess.

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In the second part, Prof. Kawasaki shared his vision on how Japan should build its grand strategy in the new Reiwa era and maintain its standing as a status quo power by answering the unique challenges to Japan’s elements of order and base of power. Prof. Kawasaki especially warned how Japan’s worsening demographic problems could potentially cripple any attempts at building a grand strategy in the future. However, Prof. Kawasaki conceded that there are also wild-card factors outside of Japan’s control—such as climate change, which was brought up by a student during the Q&A session at the end of the lecture.

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Written by Radesa Guntur Budipramono  (Doctor Student at Graduate School of International Relations)