Geographical factors can influence a country’s foreign policy and vital interests. The politics and other interests of a state are normally informed by its geography. The geostrategy of a state matches its local, regional, and global objectives (Kim, 2004). The geopolitical objectives of a country are designed according to its geostrategy (Kim, 2004). It is almost impossible for a country to come up with any strategy without considering its geography (Wachman, 2008). Geostrategists are known to come up with aggressive nationalist strategies that affect the geopolitics of a state both in the present and in the future (Kim, 2004). The economic, cultural, military, and political engagements of a country with the rest of the world are guided by its resources, foreign policies, political geography, and goals (Kim, 2004). The present and future foreign policy decisions of a country are predicted and shaped by its geography. This paper will highlight the geostrategic situation in Japan.
It is important, too, first of all, to understand the geography of Japan before discussing its geostrategic situation (Wachman, 2008). Japan is an island country located in Eastern Asia (Kim, 2004). The country is located in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean (Kim, 2004). Japan has four main islands that include Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku. Apart from the four major islands, the country has more than 1000 other smaller islands (Kowner, 2007). The largest and most populated island is Honshu, with almost 80 % of Japan’s population living there. Japan is small in size compared to other superpowers like the United States and China. The size of Japan is 377, 836 sq km, and most of its islands are covered by mountains (Kowner, 2007). Most parts of Japan are not suitable for agriculture and human settlement. Japan has a prolonged coastline that is beautiful, with the only threat being the persistent undersea earthquakes. Japan has a benevolent climate that favors fishing and rice farming. Some of the countries that surround Japan include Russia, Korea, China, and Taiwan (Kowner, 2007).
Many countries across the world have undergone tremendous changes that have made them be where they are today politically, economically, and culturally (Kowner, 2007). The geography of Japan has played a major in influencing its current status. The geography of a country can work for its advantage or disadvantage. Japan is among the greatest countries in the world today due to its geography (Kowner, 2007). Japan’s recent war history, climate, wind patterns and plate tectonics have made it to be in its current position. Japan’s geography has contributed immensely to its current economic and political success. The geography of Japan and plate tectonics led to the formation of its borders that are defined by islands (Kowner, 2007). The majority of the islands in Japan are actually summits of undersea mountains that were formed due to volcanic eruptions. Almost 75 % of Japan is mountainous with volcanic forces being responsible for the recurring earthquakes that the country experiences (Camilleri, 2007).
The precipitation of Japan is almost double the average world precipitation but this does not help the country very much due to the erratic nature of its rivers that makes it difficult to harvest water (Lim, 2012). The location and shape of Japan makes it to be among the few countries in the world with the best territories (Lim, 2012). Bilateral relations between Japan and the Soviet Union have not been good in the last 60 years due to the Northern Karafuto dispute. The dispute has not been solved until now and this has made Japan to be very reluctant in sponsoring economic initiatives in the Soviet Far East (Lim, 2012). The strategic significance of Japan changed after the Soviet Civil War which resulted in a power vacuum in the Soviet Far East. Japan is always under pressure to send troops to secure the Soviet Far East territory to prevent the U.S intervention in Siberia (Lim, 2012). Japan and the Korean People’s Republic have also been embroiled in a dispute over the control of three islands that are near Korea. The two countries have not been able to reach an amicable solution to the dispute. The three islands under dispute include Takeshima, Mathushima and Saishu (Lim, 2012). The Korean People’s Republic has been an obstacle in Japan’s efforts to develop the West Coast continental crest (Camilleri, 2007). President Kim Jong II is an aggressive leader whose defense strategies have been known to interfere with the Japanese empire. The battle for the exclusive economic area intensified in the late 1990s and has not been stopped until now (Camilleri, 2007).
The Security of Japan has been threatened by the possible partnership of Seoul and Xian in an armed confrontation (Overholt, 2007). The other reason why the relationship of Tokyo and Seoul has not been good is Korea’s idea to start a nuclear weapons program. Although these possibilities of security threats may not be implemented now, Japan fears that these security threats may become a reality in the next decade (Overholt, 2007). The Korean People’s Republic has continually refused to allow the Nuclear Inspection Committee to inspect its nuclear program since 1993 (Lim, 2012). This prompted Japan to carry out a test firing in 1996 to destroy all Korean nuclear installations. The potential nuclear threat of Korea has been a major concern for Japan in recent times. The Republic of China has always been a potential threat to almost all of its neighbors with Japan included (Lim, 2012). China has always been involved in territorial disputes especially those that concern shipping lanes. The growing Chinese militarism has also been a major concern for Japan. The Chinese Republic has always harbored dreams of occupying Taiwan, Spratley islands and Siberia due to the constraining Soviet rule over Xian (Lim, 2012).
China has established a business relationship with Germany which has enabled it to purchase weapons from Germany (Lim, 2012). Japan is not comfortable with this business arrangement despite being assured by Berlin that power projection weapons would not be made available to China. The power projections of China have the potential of rising as a result of its relationship with Germany. There are three reasons why Japan is concerned with the Chinese power projection capabilities (Kim, 2004). The first reason is its ownership dispute of the East China Sea continental shelf with Xian. The South China Sea is a very important transport route for Japan because it connects it to the Middle East and Indonesia where Japan imports oil from (Kim, 2004). The security of these transport routes is another area of concern for Japan. Japan is also concerned about the potential growth of China’s naval and air power that can enable it to dominate Asia (Kim, 2004). The military modernization taking place in China is obviously seen as a security threat by Japan. China has continually engaged in the procurement of sophisticated military equipment with an aim of claiming the Southern and Eastern China seas. The Asian politics of supremacy is here to stay with new security alliances being formed each and every day (Kim, 2004).
The struggle to liberate Singapore and East Timor from European colonialism has been a difficult task for Japan and its allies. Britain and the U.S have even formed security alliances to neutralize the influence of Japan and its allies in the region (Kowner, 2007). The influence of Japan in Singapore and the East Timor colony has made Britain and the U.S to direct their assault on Japan and its allies (Kowner, 2007). Despite the growing influence, it has been difficult for Japan to completely assert its position in the area. The underwater economic resources found in Spratley islands have left many countries including Japan in a heated confrontation as they struggle to take control of the Spratley islands (Wachman, 2008). The countries that are fighting to claim partial or full control of the Spratley islands include Philippines, Britain, China, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan (Wachman, 2008). Myanmar has emerged as a potential market for Indian products and an avenue for India to also assert itself in the contested region. The fact that India is fully armed worries Japan and other competitors (Kowner, 2007). The influence of China on Vietnam does not make matters easy for Japan because Vietnamese forces are being trained and supplied with sophisticated weapons by China which has made Vietnam to become a force to reckon with (Wachman, 2008). The improvement of military facilities by the U.S in Mannila has made it difficult for Japan to access its marine resources and oil (Kowner, 2007). Mannila is now able to protect itself using radar systems and multi-role jet fighters. Indonesia has been able to modernize its forces to maintain its bargaining power when it comes to political bargaining. The military acquisitions and programs by Japan’s neighbors and adversaries have left Japan very concerned about its position in the region (Kowner, 2007).
Japan tried its level best to stabilize the situation in Sri Lanka with much success. This happened despite a lot of opposition from New Delhi (Kim, 2004). Sri Lanka had a security treaty with Japan in order to neutralize the influence of India. Sri Lanka is now a major supplier of naval facilities to Japan. The naval clashes that used to be experienced are now rare due to Japan’s intervention (Kim, 2004). After failing to take control of Sri Lanka, India has focused its resources and efforts to Myanmar and the Great Coco Island. India takes advantage of the fact that these two countries rely on it when it comes to the supply of conventional weapons (Wachman, 2008). Nacobar Islands and Andaman are the two British colonies that are close allies of Japan due to their anti-Indian sentiments (Kim, 2004). The presence of The United States in Eastern Asia has not been a welcome idea for all the countries in Eastern Asia (Kim, 2004). The East Asian states argue that the stability of the region is not enhanced in any way by the U.S presence. The security in the region can not be helped in any way by the U.S because of its volatile relationship with Japan (Kim, 2004). The other states in East Asia fear that Japan can be provoked into a violent reaction if the U.S fully commits itself in the region. The East Asian Security Treaty initiated by Japan was aimed at blocking any form of military intervention from the U.S (Kim, 2004).
The U.S East Asian Strategic Initiative is a ploy by the U.S to continue increasing its military presence in the region (Kim, 2004). Through the initiative, the United States has managed to station its forward forces in Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Australia and other U.S territories as a way of maintaining its military presence in Eastern Asia (Lim, 2012). The attacks on Japanese ships and fishing boats in the last ten years by unidentified attackers have continued to plaque the Japanese-U.S relations. Japan believes that the attacks are from Filipino attackers who have the backing of the United States (Lim, 2012). The United States and its allies have embarked on a mission to sabotage Japan economically by coming up with claims that inflate its monetary image. This propaganda has resulted into the high Japanese yen being converted to low dollars (Lim, 2012). The false claim that the defense budget of Japan is third in the world does not actually mention how the money is spent. The fact of the matter is that Japan is very prudent and restrained when it comes to military expenditures (Overholt, 2007).
In conclusion, Japan’s geostrategic outlook reveals its interests and regional position. The geopolitics of Japan is centered on the control of the many islands in Eastern Asia that are endowed with undersea resources. Japan has created allies and adversaries alike in its quest to impose its presence in the region (Overholt, 2007). The issues discussed in this paper will still continue to define Japan’s geopolitical position in the next two years. The geographic and demographic factors play a major role in Japan’s geostrategy (Camilleri, 2007). Despite being small in size, Japan’s territorial advantage has enabled it to become one of the greatest nations in the world. China, India and the United States still remain Japan’s major adversaries (Camilleri, 2007). The geostrategic outlook of Japan defines its geopolitical position.
References
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Overholt, W. (2007). Asia, America and the transformation of geopolitics. London: Cambridge University Press.
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