Abstract
Everyone with an interest in North-East Asia closely follows what course North Korea is taking. Japanese policy makers and public have been particularly concerned not only about the possibility that Pyongyang has developed nuclear weapons, but also about its missile development and the revelation that North Korean agents kidnapped a number of Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s - developments which have been cited in attempts to expand Japan's military capability and roles. North Korea policy could therefore be seen as an appropriate case study to evaluate the relative power of influence of Japanese foreign policy vis-á-vis that of other regional actors.