Post Cold War Japan: International Behavior of the Status Quo State.

After their first overseas mission in 1992 in participating the UN Peace Keeping Operations (PKO) in Cambodia, Japan?s Self-Defense Forces (SDF) have increased its roles in international security problems until present. In addition to the UNPKO activities in Africa and other areas, the Maritime SDF has been making logistical support on the Indian ocean for the US coalition forces in Afghanistan and the Grand SDF was dispatched to Iraq to participate reconstruction activities after the invasion. Comparing with her very limited security roles, such as extending economic assistance to countries of security concerns of the West like Pakistan after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, Japan has become more active in international security problems after the end of the cold war.On the other hand, while her economic performance during the cold war period was one of the best among G8 countries, Japan?s post cold war economy has been stagnating for more than a decade after bursting the bubble in 1990.Regarding global issues, although she is making financial and other contributions, Japan does not lead others but rathre follows initiatives of other actors. So Japan?s role in global issues is limited.This paper will focus on these contrasting differnces of Japan?s behavior in international affairs of the post cold war period. After confirming limits of international systemic explanations, state level factors will be analyzed. State-society relations, changing political power balance at the Diet, delayed economic reforms will be particular focuses of the domestic sources. ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]