Snow on the Pine: Japan's Quest for a Leadership Role in Asia

Book info: Snow on the Pine: Japan's Quest for a Leadership Role in Asia (Hardcover, 495 pages) – World Scientific Pub Co Inc, 2010. Language: English.

Snow on the Pine presents a compelling view of the Japanese foreign policy that runs counter to the common wisdom reducing Japan’s post-war efforts to the pursuit of purely commercial interests. This book takes a new approach — the eventual Japanese defeat in the Second World War did not transform Japan into an “exceptional state” seeking only economic interests. Like any other nations, economic issues have always played a crucial role in policy decisions. However, this is but only one amongst the many interweaving threads determining foreign policy decisions. In the authors’ eyes, Japan’s foreign policy is characterized by the drive to dominate and influence the East Asia region, which has been a consistent motivation since the days of the Meiji restoration. Thus, the post-war period in this analysis provides a continuation rather than a break with the country’s previous history. Tactics, and even strategies, may have changed over time to meet the challenges of the ever evolving economic and political environments but the overall objective has essentially remained constant. The snow melts, but the pine endures. Editorial Reviews Review The book is well written, factual and well researched, able to satisfy the intended audience, people interested and/or interacting with international relations issues, diplomacy, foreign relations, foreign affairs, East Asia particularly Japan and its neighbors as well as students, researchers and scholars of the same. -- East Asia Integration Studies "East Asia Integration Studies" From the Back Cover Snow on the Pine presents a compelling view of the Japanese foreign policy that runs counter to the common wisdom reducing Japan s post-war efforts to the pursuit of purely commercial interests. This book takes a new approach the eventual Japanese defeat in the Second World War did not transform Japan into an exceptional state seeking only economic interests. Like any other nations, economic issues have always played a crucial role in policy decisions. However, this is but only one amongst the many interweaving threads determining foreign policy decisions. In the authors eyes, Japan s foreign policy is characterized by the drive to dominate and influence the East Asia region, which has been a consistent motivation since the days of the Meiji restoration. Thus, the post-war period in this analysis provides a continuation rather than a break with the country s previous history. Tactics, and even strategies, may have changed over time to meet the challenges of the ever evolving economic and political environments but the overall objective has essentially remained constant. The snow melts, but the pine endures.