Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of Belgrade and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) invite you to attend the lecture “From ‘Japan and Asia’ to ‘Japan in Asia’” of the JICA Chair Seminar on Modernization of Japan.

Japan regained its independence in 1952. At that time, the Cold War had begun, and the Japanese government under Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida chose to regain independence as an American ally and for its security. However, the Japanese public was deeply divided over the decision because of the disastrous consequences of the Second World War. As a result, a substantial minority did not support the ruling party and Japan’s alliance with the US and found neutrality combined with democratic socialism a more attractive option.

In Asia, memories of war – death, violence, suffering, economic collapse, and destruction inflicted by the Japanese – were still very fresh in the people of Asia. Southeast Asia also transitioned from being a region under colonialism and Japanese occupation to a region of independent nation-states.

More than 60 years have passed since that time.

From the 1950s to the 2010s, the relationship between Japan and Asia has been dramatically changing. In the 1950s and 1960s, going back to the Asia phase: Japan and Southeast Asia tried to rebuild their ties. After the shocks from the 1970s to the mid-1980s, Japan was recalibrating its position in Asia. From the mid-1980s to the mid-2000s, under the end of the cold war and the expansion of ASEAN, Japan believed that this region-wide economic development would underpin political stability in this area. Furthermore, the rise of China changed the geopolitical situation of the region. To tackle the new situation, a free and open Southeast Asia has remained important strategically for Japan, the region, and the world.

The lecture gives you a rough perspective on the transition between Asia and Japan in the past 60 years.

Aizawa Nobuhiro is Associate Professor in Kyushu University’s Department of Cultural Studies. He specializes in the fields of Southeast Asian Politics, International Relations, Overseas Chinese Studies and Comparative Politics. He teaches on the International Program of the Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Global Society.

Shiraishi Takashi, Adjunct Professor and Professor Emeritus, has taught at the University of Tokyo (1979-1987), Cornell University (1987-98), Kyoto University (1996-2005), and National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo (2005-2009). He served as Executive Member, Council for Science and Technology Policy (CSTP), Cabinet Office (2009-2012), President, GRIPS (2011-2017), President, Institute of Developing Economies-JETRO (2007-2018) and Ritsumeikan University Professor (2017). He currently serves as Chancellor, Prefectural University of Kumamoto (since 2018).