After Terrorism

Explores how Japan navigated its alliance with the United States in the aftermath of 9/11, balancing its pacifist constitution with evolving global security demands through newly revealed diplomatic documents and high-level policy analysis.

After Terrorism offers a groundbreaking analysis of how Japan navigated its alliance with the United States in the wake of the September 11 attacks, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and North Korea's nuclear ambitions. Drawing from newly declassified diplomatic documents, Ryuji Hattori challenges conventional narratives and introduces the concept of the global alliance security dilemma, illustrating how Japan struggled to balance its pacifist constitution with growing international security demands. Providing a rare, document-based perspective on the Bush-Koizumi era, Hattori offers insights into high-level negotiations, security policymaking, and the shifting geopolitical landscape of East Asia. Through a meticulous analysis of primary sources and interviews with key policymakers, he reveals how Japan's foreign policy was shaped by both alliance asymmetries and domestic constraints. Ideal for scholars of international relations, security studies, and Asian diplomacy, After Terrorism is an essential resource for understanding the long-term impact of post-9/11 security decisions on US–Japan relations and the broader Indo-Pacific order.

The open access version of this book has been made available thanks to the generosity of Ryuji Hattori.