Japan, the United States, and Latin America : toward a trilateral relationship in the western hemisphere?

This edited volume examines Japan's increasing links with Latin America from three perspectives. First, the introduction looks at the US role in `mediating' Japan's relations with Latin America. Second, three chapters by Japanese scholars offer their perspectives on the economic, political and cultural links between their country and the Latin American region. Finally, scholars from five Latin American countries - Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Chile and Panama - trace historical, current and future ties between Japan and their respective nations. Japan has long had a presence in Latin America - ever since small numbers of Japanese migrated at the beginning of the century to work as farm laborers. Growing economic and political power has made Japan more visible than ever in the region, its activities and influence competing directly with U.S. holdings and interests. Providing a brief historical overview and examining issues that will shape future economic arrangements in the region, Japan, the United States, and Latin America is the most detailed analysis to date of growing Japanese economic influence outside Asia. In their introduction, the editors explore various possibilities for the future of the region: the United States maintaining its dominant position, Japan displacing the United States, and the two countries sharing economic power and political influence. Concluding that none of these possibilities is adequate, they propose instead a "trilateral model" in which the Latin American countries begin to play a central role in shaping the region's economic development, working as equal partners with Japan and the United States for mutual benefit. The other contributors to the volume provide the differing perspectives of the countries under consideration. Drawing on sources unfamiliar to most Western scholars, three Japanese authors discuss Japan's perspective on Latin America's role in the global political economy, the evolution of Japanese cultural ties and economic interests in the area, and the growth of Latin American studies in Japan. Five Latin American scholars then examine the impact of Japanese economic activities in Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Chile, and Panama. They also explore strategies these countries might use to gain maximum advantage from relations with both the United States and Japan Front Matter....Pages i-xii Front Matter....Pages 1-1 The New Trilateralism: The United States, Japan, and Latin America....Pages 3-45 Front Matter....Pages 47-47 Japan’s Economic Relations with Latin America....Pages 49-76 Japanese Diplomacy toward Latin America after World War II....Pages 77-98 Japanese Migration to Latin America....Pages 99-121 Front Matter....Pages 123-123 Brazil—Japan Relations: From Fever to Chill....Pages 125-148 Mexico’s International Strategy: Looking East and North....Pages 149-170 Peruvian—Japanese Relations: The Frustration of Resource Diplomacy....Pages 171-190 Chile and Japan: Opening Doors Through Trade....Pages 191-209 Japan and Panama: the Role of the Panama Canal....Pages 210-228 Back Matter....Pages 229-240