Domestic Power Transitions and Japan’s Evolving Strategic Posture, 2006 to 2012

This chapter examines the first administration of Shinzo Abe, the fall of the LDP from power, and the three years of rule by the Democratic Party of Japan, with a focus on security policy innovation in this period.

Japan’s Relative Decline and New Security Challenges in a Multipolar Asia

This chapter examines the decline of Japan's relative power in the Asian region from 2006-15 as a result of China's rise and the rise of other Asian states, with a focus on security implications for Japan.

The New Conservative Mainstream and New Security Policies Under Prime Minister Shinzō Abe, 2012 to 2016

This chapter examines the return of Shinzo Abe to Prime Minister of Japan from 2012-2015, paying special attention to new security legislation and military capabilities developed in this period.

The Gradual Awakening

This chapter examines Japan's gradual security awakening with particular focus on the post-Cold War period to 2006.

Japan’s Twenty-First-Century Security Renaissance

This chapter provides an overview of Japan's security renaissance in the past decade, with special attention to three historical legacies that continue to limit Japan's defense policies: Japan's World War II history, its antimilitarist security policies of the postwar period, and the unequal aspects of the US-Japan alliance.

Implications and Next Steps in Japan’s Security Renaissance

This chapter considers likely next steps in Japan's evolving security policies and implications for Japan, the United States, and the Asian region.