Japan’s Strategy in Asia and the Indo-Pacific

Abstract

The “Indo-Pacific region” is a novel term in the lexicon of the actors on the global stage that has recently risen as the successor of the Asia-Pacific region due to the shift in the balance of geopolitical forces. The region’s expanding demographic, economic, and political potential makes it crucial in shaping the international order. Different actors have different understandings of this geopolitical construct; they also have varying economic and strategic approaches toward it. Japan has become a prominent participant in this region due to the efforts of the Abe administration as well as its geographical location. This paper aims to examine the regional concept of the Indo-Pacific from Japan’s perspective, discuss the future Indo-Pacific vision that is desirable for Japan, and provide policy recommendations that would serve to realize this vision based on the assumption that Japan will pursue such an Indo Pacific vision in the future.