Japanese foreign intelligence and grand strategy : from the cold war to the Abe era

Japanese Foreign Intelligence and Grand Strategy probes the unique makeup of Japanese foreign intelligence institutions, practices, and capabilities across the economic, political, and military domains. Williams shows how Japanese intelligence has changed over time, from the Cold War to the reassessment of national security strategy in the Abe Era. | Incisive insights into the distinctive nature of Japanese foreign intelligence and grand strategy, its underlying norms, and how they have changed over time Japanese foreign intelligence is an outlier in many ways. Unlike many states, Japan does not possess a centralized foreign intelligence agency that dispatches agents abroad to engage in espionage. Japan is also notable for civilian control over key capabilities in human and signals intelligence. Japanese Foreign Intelligence and Grand Strategy probes the unique makeup of Japan's foreign intelligence institutions, practices, and capabilities across the economic, political, and military domains and shows how they have changed over time. Brad Williams begins by exploring how Japan's experiences of the Second World War and its new role as a major US ally influenced its adoption of bilateralism, developmentalism, technonationalism, and antimilitarism as key norms. As a result, Japanese intelligence-gathering resources centered primarily around improving its position in the global economy throughout the Cold War. Williams then brings his analysis up to the Abe Era, examining how shifts in the international, regional, and domestic policy environments in the twenty-first century have caused a gradual reassessment of national security strategy under former prime minister Shinzo Abe. As Japan reevaluates its old norms in light of regional security challenges, the book concludes by detailing how the country is beginning to rethink the size, shape, and purpose of its intelligence community. Anyone interested in Japanese intelligence, security, or international relations will welcome this important contribution to our understanding of the country's intelligence capabilities and strategy. "This book probes the Japanese government's foreign intelligence institutions, practices, and capabilities across the economic, political, and military domains. Brad Williams seeks to explain the relative underdevelopment and distinctiveness of post-1945 Japanese intelligence by exploring the effects of key norms that developed from the experience of World War II and the post-war constitution: bilateralism, developmentalism, technonationalism, and antimilitarism. Japan's role as a key US ally after 1945 is also critical to understanding the functional specialties of Japan's foreign intelligence institutions, particularly in electronic and signals intelligence. Japan's post-1945 national strategy also called for the intelligence community to work hand in hand with Japanese industry to acquire industrial secrets to boost growth and development. Shifts in the international, regional and domestic policy environments in the twenty-first century have contributed to the gradual emergence of a new national security strategy, the Abe Doctrine, which is causing Japan to rethink old norms. As a result, Japan is beginning to rethink the size, shape, and purpose of its intelligence community in light of a rising China. Brad Williams draws upon English- and Japanese-language primary and secondary sources, including declassified files"-- Provided by publisher

Japanese Foreign Intelligence and Grand Strategy probes the unique makeup of Japanese foreign intelligence institutions, practices, and capabilities across the economic, political, and military domains. Williams shows how Japanese intelligence has changed over time, from the Cold War to the reassessment of national security strategy in the Abe Era.