Samenvatting

This dissertation focuses on the re-interpretation of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, which has forbidden Japan from participating in war since 1946. However, it has now been re-interpreted to allow Japan minimum involvement in international conflicts and peacekeeping operations. It analyses the possible implications that this re-interpretation can have on international peace and security, as well as the national security of Japan.
It does so by combining extensive desk research, of academic and news articles, with expert interviews of professionals in the appropriate fields. Furthermore, reports from the UN, leaflets issued by the Japanese government and lectures on the topic given by Professor Takeuchi of the Osaka School of International Public Policy in Stockholm and Groningen were consulted.
This dissertation records findings such as the fact that the new re-interpretation of Article 9 allows three conditions which, if met, allows Japan to participate in a conflict. Meanwhile, Japan has already been participating in conflicts and PKO, although its roles were mostly as a financial contributor and logistic and transport provider. This dissertation concludes that this will not change as a result of the re-interpretation but can in fact be expanded to include previously banned items or personnel.
As a result of their past experiences with Imperial Japan during WWII, China and South Korea fear Japan’s re-militarization. Even with an ongoing territorial dispute with Japan over the Senkaku/ Diaoyu Islands and the wariness of Japan’s attitude towards Taiwan, this dissertation finds that the re-interpretation is unlikely to lead to conflict with China in the short or medium term. This is, in part, due to the US-Japan Alliance. South Korea also shares an alliance with the US. However, should the US-Japanese alliance weaken, South Korea and Japan could be forced to secure themselves against China and North Korea, by starting bilateral security co-operation.
In conclusion, this dissertation finds that the re-interpretation of Article 9 commendably increases the effectiveness of the peacekeeping operations in which Japan takes part, whilst it presents both positive and negative implications for international conflict that depend on external factors.
This dissertation is limited by the fact that primary sources written in Japanese, Chinese and South Korean had to be discarded. It is further limited by the fact that the topic is still fairly new, as the re-interpretation only came into effect in March 2016; the consequence being that the pool of knowledgeable potential interviewees were limited.
Finally, this dissertation recommends that the economic, political and theoretical aspects of the re-interpretation be taken into account for in-depth studies on the re-interpretation in the future.