Japanese Realism and Its Contribution to International Relations Theory

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine the contribution of Japanese realism to international relations theory by analyzing the works of one of postwar Japan’s representative realists, Yonosuke Nagai. Nagai’s version of realism purports to be a science of self-liberation and self-understanding which encourages those (including himself) who are only interested in understanding what they cannot control and helps them to reconstruct themselves as autonomous actors in world politics. Using rigorous concepts of power and institutions, Nagai has attempted to provide his readers with a ”public philosophy” that aids them to acquire inner strength to give an account of the foreseeable results of their actions. However, Nagai shares an important weakness with Western realists. Adopting the ethics of responsibility, he did not elaborate on how we can weigh consequences, stating only that we should face them. Here, Japanese realism shares an important agenda with Western realism.