In its modern and contemporary history, Japan attained prosperity in the international order led by the West, especially in its cooperative relationship with the United States. Meanwhile, the Japanese formed an identity as a developed country of the “West,” drawing a line that set themselves apart from other Asian countries. Lining up along this fault line are the territorial problems Japan has had with neighboring Russia, Korea and China. Even today, this fault line continues to separate Japan from its Asian neighbors politically. This chapter discusses Japan's identity from the perspective of the international order and territorial problems.

Introduction

In its modern and contemporary history, Japan attained prosperity in the international order led by the West, especially in its cooperative relationship with the United States. In the mid- 19th century, while the Western imperialist powers were expanding their colonies in Asia, Japan, an island nation in the Far East, was dragged onto the international stage. It then promoted modernization with the slogan of “leaving Asia and joining Europe” (datsu a nyū ō), expanded its territories, and emerged as a mighty empire and the only Asian colonial power. However, as a result of continuing expansion and by attempting to create a new non- Western order in East Asia, Japan pushed itself into World War II, ultimately losing most of the territories that it had advanced into. After World War II, Japan returned to an island nation of the Far East, and under the circumstances of the Cold War, grew to become the world's second-largest economy in the Western capitalist and non-communist camp under the umbrella of the United States. Meanwhile, the Japanese formed an identity as a developed country of the “West,” drawing a line that set themselves apart from other Asian countries. Lining up along this fault line are the territorial problems Japan has had with neighboring Russia, Korea and China. Even today in the 21st century, this fault line continues to separate Japan from its Asian neighbors politically. This chapter discusses Japan's identity from the perspective of the international order and territorial/border problems.