Marie Söderberg

The literature on EU-Japan relations, especially in the field of global governance, has so far been rather limited. The reason for this, from a historical point of view, is that those relations, always much talked about, have been weak with few mutual initiatives or actions. The nine chapters in this [End Page 259] book offer different angles on the EU-Japan relationship. Their goal is to understand and assess the growing cooperation and solidarity between the EU and Japan, not only in the field of economics where relations have been intensive, but also in the field of politics, in the midst of growing global tension. While other books have taken broader perspectives such as geopolitical changes with the rise of China and crises of liberalism and the U.S. role in changing EU-Japan relations, 1 this book focuses more on the EU and Japan as actors and not on in-depth analyses of surrounding factors that affect the relationship. In 2018 both an economic partnership agreement (EPA) and a strategic partnership agreement (SPA) based on shared norms and values were signed. And in 2019 the signing of the Partnership on Sustainable Connectivity and Quality Infrastructure with its objective to "promote free, open, rule based, fair, nondiscriminatory and predictable regional and international trade and investment" aimed at cooperation in the development of infrastructure in Europe and Asia and formation of an alternative to the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). What is driving all these new EU-Japan initiatives and how should we assess their impact on global governance? That is the question the book wants to answer.

In this article, Patrik Ström, Marie Söderberg, and Åsa Malmström Rognes discuss the importance of Strategic Partnership Agreements (SPA). With COVID-19 and tensions between China and the USA, SPAs can play an important role to foster creativity and innovation. Focusing on the SPA between the EU and Japan, the authors highlight three critical innovation areas – connectivity, health, and multilateral collaboration. By using COVID-19 as a catalyst, strengthening collaboration between countries, but also between state and private organizations can help to drive innovation and economic prosperity.

In the famous article "Datsu-A," written in 1885 by Fukuzawa Yukichi, he argued that Japan should shift its focus from Asia to the West. At that time, it might have been a winning concept, but eventually it led Japan into war and created memories that still haunt the country and its development today. Japan’s relations with its Asian neighbors have been complex, not least due to World War II. Since the 1960s, development cooperation has been a powerful tool for Japan in dealing with its neighbors. Foreign direct investment and trade are other important pillars. Japan should build solid and constructive relationships with various international actors. Asia is in the center and Japan has moved a long way from "Datsu-A." Development cooperation is a political tool that carries significance as an "investment for the future" and where Japan has had significant experience during the last 60 years-a fact that it should not underestimate, but use wisely to build in both the present and the future, its Asian connections.

Bringing together the work of sixteen international Japan specialists and scholars, this book analyzes Japan’s culture and history to reflect on the critical policy decisions and national commitments required for the country to continue to succeed. Comparing the current situation with the uncertainties of the late nineteenth century, this book investigates the possibility and desirability of a "New Meiji Transformation" in Japan. Set in the context of perceived demographic, ecological, fiscal and political decline in Japan, it explores what a New Meiji initiative would look like in the twenty-first century and whether a new era of renewal is needed to maintain and improve quality of life. An interdisciplinary volume, this book covers contemporary issues in Japanese foreign, defense and nuclear strategies, as well as its aging population, higher education structure and environmental policies. As such Japan’s Future and a New Meiji Transformation will be of great interest to students and scholars of Japanese politics, economics and history, as well as Asian Studies more generally. © 2019 selection and editorial matter, Ken Coates, Kimie Hara, Carin Holroyd and Marie Söderberg; individual chapters, the contributors.

International observers of Japan’s struggles and achievements in the post-Bubble era alternatively marvel at the country’s resilience and wonder about its ability to find its feet in an era of unrelenting socio-economic change and technological transformation. In December 2016, an interdisciplinary and international group of scholars gathered in Narita, Japan, to address a simple question: does the twenty-first century need a reimagining and reconfiguration of the country on the scale and with the intensity of the late nineteenth-century Meiji Restoration. In the introduction to this collection of essays, this chapter reflects on the nature of contemporary challenges facing Japan, contemplates the earlier lessons from Meiji and argues that there will be no clear or simple path forward for the country, due both to the strengths and weaknesses of Japan and the complexities and diverse changes of the contemporary world. © 2019 selection and editorial matter, Ken Coates, Kimie Hara, Carin Holroyd and Marie Söderberg; individual chapters, the contributors.