Japan’s Postwar Foreign Policy: From Free-Riding to Self- Determination

Jonathan Freidkin
Henninger High School

Abstract

Since the end of World War II, Japan has pursued a remarkably pacifistic foreign policy. After the devastation of the war, Japan sought to benefit from its enforced disarmament by free-riding on U.S. security guarantees. However, the waning and end of the Cold War ushered in a changed security landscape, and the U.S. has steadily pressured Japan to assume more responsibility for its own defense. From a game theory perspective, Japan’s long-standing positive-sum game of relying on U.S. military protection is giving way to a more complex game, one in which Japan is beginning to assume responsibility for its own security.

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