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The Emergence of Japan as a “Normal Nation”: The Meaning Behind Japan’s Deployment in Iraq
Omar De La Riva
Mentor: Dr. Robert Uriu
After World War II, Japan turned inward and focused exclusively on its economic recovery,
becoming the first country ever to formally renounce the right to wage war. However, on July 26,
2003, the Law Concerning Special Measures on Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance
(LCSMHRA) was passed, sending Japanese forces onto foreign soil for the first time since World
War II and effectively eliminating Japan’s decision to maintain a pacifist role in world affairs. This
remarkable turn of events appears to be a response to the attacks of September 11th, but in reality,
this was a foreign policy decision some years in the making. Japan’s longstanding economic ties to
the region, desire to become a more active nation in the international arena, and the U.S.-Japan
alliance influenced the decision in deploying to Iraq. This contribution to Washington’s “war on
terror” has given Japan a foundation on which to begin a more concerted effort towards
“normalization” and possibly increasing its military role in other theaters of the war. Japan’s
precarious economic position, which was highlighted during the 1973 oil shock, explains Japan’s
recent shift in foreign policy. This shift will adversely affect relations with its East Asian neighbors,
strengthen the U.S.-Japan alliance and position Japan to become an economic and military “normal”
power in the 21st century.