Taking Stock: The Focal Points of Abe's Foreign Policy

Abstract

In September 2007, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe resigned after only one year in office. Abe, who had been Chief Cabinet Secretary in the cabinet of Jun’ichiro Koizumi, had gained popularity mainly because of his tough stance towards North Korea, in particular concerning the abduction issue. During Abe’s premiership, foreign policy remained his forte. This article examines the continuities and discontinuities of Abe’s and Koizumi’s foreign policies. Overall, Abe has continued with Koizumi’s agenda of “normalising” Japan’s foreign policy. In spite of his reputation as an ultranationalist and revisionist, however, he has made serious efforts to repair Japan’s strained relations with China and South Korea, which had deteriorated due to Koizumi’s regular visits to the Yasukuni shrine. Furthermore, Abe has fostered strategic relations with India and Australia, and worked to further deepen the alliance with the United States.