How a Country Responds to Increasing International Engagement in the Era of the Rise of Autocracy and Populism: Lessons from Japan

How does a country respond to increased exposure to international politics and economics? This has been a widely discussed topic in both international relations and comparative politics. Recently, however, international politics and the global economy have entered a new era marked by rapid changes. We are witnessing the rise of authoritarian regimes and challenges posed by some powerful autocracies to the liberal international order. Additionally, intensified globalization has contributed to the rise of populism in various countries. This panel uses Japan as a case study to examine how a nation responds to recent shifts in global politics and economics, presenting insights through five papers.
In the first paper, Ichihara explores how Japan adjusted its diplomatic focus in the wake of the Ukraine war and the rise of autocracies. She demonstrates that Japan has started prioritizing good governance over democracy in its diplomatic efforts.Next, Takenaka investigates the initiation and implementation of Japan's Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) Strategy. He argues that, while FOIP was initially a response to the shifting international landscape in East Asia following China's rise, its implementation was made possible by changes within Japan's domestic institutions.
In the third paper, Lipscy examines the impact of racism on Japan's pursuit of leadership within the international order. He shows that while Japan has aimed to take on greater leadership roles in international organizations, these efforts have often been hindered by prevailing racial biases. Catalinac’s paper addresses why Japan has not experienced a rise in populism, despite technological advancements and automation that have reduced the demand for factory workers. She contends that subsidies provided by the LDP administrations to cushion against international economic shocks have helped prevent the rise of populism. Finally, Song and Woo examine Japanese citizens' responses to immigration, as Japan has recently accepted more immigrants to address labor shortages. Based on survey experiments, they argue that Japanese citizens generally favor policies already pursued by the government.