I had to read this chapter in a book by Kenneth Pyle; Japan Rising. This book actually just came out this year and I would reccommend it for anyone interested in Japanese foreign policy. The section I had to read concerned Japanese Foreign style. Or rather what parts of Japanese culture have formed the base for it. I just want to give a short summary for the chapter's points of interest for me.
Generally speaking, a nation's foreign style forms into patterns over time based on its experience and its reactions to them. Kind of similar to how someone's personality develops over time. These patterns while not set in stone to give way easily to the winds of time.
Japan's Foreign style is based in 6 major categories according to Kenneth Pyle. All of these basically grow out of Japan's history of Feudalism and borrowing. Japan has the unique aspect of being an island country that is quite separated from its neigbors and having what is “often regarded as one of “only two fully proven cases of feudalism””(39). In a true case of feudalism you have what John herz has termed as the "security dilemma." A situation similar to the international world where all sides are locked in an unending power struggle. One side increases its power and the other groups see this and become nervous(i.e. insecure) and then seek to become stronger too. It's circular, see? All sides keep seeking more power than their neigbors for greater security but is has no end.
The fact that Japan in the past did some heavy borrowing from China was originally thought to be because of a romantic attractivenesss that the Japanese held of the Chinese Empire. However it is now believed that Japan perceived China as a threat to their independence/security. The reaction was to seek to understand the "threat" and then borrow and improve upon what made that "threat" stronger than them. In light of that way of thinking one can make better sense of Japan's reaction to the growing west following the Meiji restoration.
The main six origins of the Japanese National Style are:
1. An Attentiveness to Power: For one thing, Japan has lacked the religious/ideological base that absolute power can be a bad thing. In addition, Japan's leaders generally came from the Samurai class; a class which relied on power for existence. Growing out of this reliance Japan always is holding up its invisible ruler to predict threats. It's also the reason Japan has kept itself algned with the most ascendant powers over the last 100 years; First England, Then Germany, Now America.
2. A strong Pragmatism and the lack of Transcendent and Universal Ideals: Japan seeks to grow its own power in a pragmatic fashion. That is to say they react situation by situation in favor of their country. This comes from Japan's sense of nationalism「国家主義」 built over time and its lack of any core Ideals or principles to stand for. This is to say that Japan a country who relies on trade for survival to watch the winds of change in internationl relationships and to seize favorable oppourtunities as they blow through.
3. Use of Adaptation and Accommodation: Japan has a history where its leaders simply explain away their actions as "beyond one's control" or "couldn't be helped「しょうがなかった」." Currently this thought process comes from Japan's reliance on trade leaving Japan to adapt to the international framework of the times or suffer. The way the Japanese express this is through a reference to "the trend of the times「大勢」" as a factor beyond one's control. As a result Japan possesses a adapation system based in seeking to always "go with the flow" as opposed to "making waves."
4. Maintaining Autonomy and Seeking a Regional Hegemony: Before the International world came along, Japan was self-sufficient but as a result of it's economic growth Japan has actually become reliant on the international world. It's kind of funny how Japan sought to maintain its autonomy through the economy but in turn has actually almost lost that. On the other side of the coin however, Japan's severe growth has given it the opportunity to be an almost economic "Asian brain" so to speak giving it a kind of Regional Hegemony.
5. Its Emulation and Innovation: As Japan lacks the emphasis on inner truth allows Japan to look at foriegn cultures from an "objective" perspective. Japan combines this with its historic emphasis on an imitative form of learning 「習う」. Japan uses this combination to adapt and innovate what it deems useful by first mastering the existing technique and then, only after the imitation is complete, improving upon the past model.
6. Its Rank and Honor: The Japanese obsession with prestige and rank was passed on by the Samurai after they were converted to the Nation's bueaucrats in the Meiji Restoration. Their forms of politeness following the Restoration "were by no means simply indicators of breeding and refinement, but direct and explicit idioms of power(63)." Moreover Japan takes this perspective and applies it on an international scale, thereby making honor and prestige nearly as vital as trade to the nation's survival.
Rober Wohlstetter wrote on Pearl Harbor: “war with the
Later's ya'll
No comments:
Post a Comment