Strategic Studies Institute

Japan Studies

Added April 12, 2010

Type: Letort Papers

Criminal Sovereignty: Understanding North Korea's Illicit International Activities. Authored by Dr. Paul Rexton Kan, Dr. Bruce E. Bechtol, Jr., Mr. Robert M. Collins.

North Korea’s criminal conduct—smuggling, trafficking and counterfeiting—is well known, but the portion of the government, Office Number 39, which directs it, is understudied or overlooked. This shadowy part of an already opaque government is examined to reveal how it conducts its activities and supports the longevity of the regime.

Added February 09, 2009

Type: Monograph

Japan's Decision for War in 1941: Some Enduring Lessons. Authored by Dr. Jeffrey Record.

Japan’s decision to attack the United States in 1941 is widely regarded as irrational to the point of suicidal. How could Japan hope to survive a war with, much less defeat, an enemy possessing an invulnerable homeland and an industrial base 10 times that of Japan? The Pacific War was a war that Japan was always going to lose, so how does one explain Tokyo’s decision for war? Did the Japanese recognize the odds against them? Did they have a concept of victory, or at least of avoiding defeat? Or did the Japanese prefer a lost war to an unacceptable peace?

Added March 29, 2007

Type: Monograph

The Politics of Identity: History, Nationalism, and the Prospect for Peace in Post-Cold War East Asia. Authored by Dr. Sheila Miyoshi Jager.

The clash between the rise of increasingly divergent nationalisms in post-Cold War East Asia represent new challenges for U.S. policy there. How might the United States respond to the history disputes and rising nationalisms in the region to promote stability and peace?

Added March 01, 2006

Type: Monograph

Irregular Enemies and the Essence of Strategy: Can the American Way of War Adapt? Authored by Dr. Colin S. Gray.

At present and probably for some years to come, America's enemies are of an irregular character. These irregular enemies necessarily wage war in modes that are largely unconventional.

Added January 01, 2004

Type: Monograph

Paths Diverging? The Next Decade in the U.S.-Japan Security Alliance. Authored by LTC William E. Rapp.

The author explores the changing nature of Japanese security policy and the impact of those changes on the U.S.-Japan security alliance. He begins his analysis by acquainting the reader with an insider's view of the conflicted Japanese conceptions of security policy and the various ideational and structural restraints on expanding the role of the military.

Added September 01, 2000

Type: Book

Theater Missile Defense in Japan: Implications for the U.S.-China-Japan Strategic Relationship. Authored by Colonel Patrick M. O'Donogue.

The author highlights the significant and ongoing contribution of the U.S. Army in deterring war, executing smaller-scale contingencies, and shaping the security environment. He advocates a robust, pro- active Army presence for the foreseeable future. Such a presence will ensure the promotion and protection of U.S. national interests in the region.

Added September 01, 1996

Type: Monograph

Managing a Changing Relationship: China's Japan Policy in the 1990s. Authored by Prof. Robert S. Ross.

Dr. Robert S. Ross argues that Japan's relationship with China is a key element in the evolving East Asian security structure. From Beijing's perspective, China's Japan policy rivals its relationship with the United States in relative strategic importance. Today Japanese and Chinese interests compete in many areas, requiring tolerance, patience and diplomatic sophistication.

Added March 01, 1996

Type: Monograph

International Politics in Northeast Asia: The China-Japan-United States Strategic Triangle. Authored by Dr. Thomas L. Wilborn.

The United States has vital security and economic interests in Northeast Asia, one of the most dynamic regions of the world. This monograph focuses on the three bilateral relationships, those connecting China, Japan, and the United States to each other, which will dominate the future of the region.