The Role of Japanese Local Governments in Implementing International Activities: from the Meiji Restoration to the Post-War Period

Authors

  • Nirinthorn Mesupnikom Institute of East Asian Studies,Thammasat University

Keywords:

local governments, international activities, , post-war, Meiji restoration, driving factors, paradiplomacy

Abstract

This paper explores the role of Japanese local governments in implementing international activities, from the Meiji Restoration to the post-war period, by focusing on the factors that have driven Japanese local governments to play a proactive role in implementing international activities and the linkage with the Meiji Restoration period (1868-1912).  The theory of “Paradiplomacy” by Alexander Kuznetsov (2015) is applied in the analysis of this research. Based on documentary research and field interviews, this study found that during the Meiji period, the centralized system of government firmly restricted the role of Japanese local authorities in the domestic and international arenas. However in the post-war period, local governments in Japan have been playing a critical role in building multi-layered and friendly international relations in a wide range of fields, fostering mutual international understanding, developing relationships of trust, and promoting Japan’s “brand”. There are four important factors that drive the increasing role of Japanese local governments in implementing international activities: (1) the nation’s constitution and laws; 2) the supportive policies of the central government; (3) economic and social issues; and (4) historical linkages. The legacy of historical linkages from the Meiji restoration period has become a criterion of some Japanese local governments for establishing relations with foreign countries. This can be found in the case of Kusatsu and Beitigheim-Bissingen in Germany; Fukui and New Brunswick in the United States of America; and Yokohama in Scotland. This article fulfills the study of the role of Japanese local governments in implementing international activities in the modern Japan, mainly focusing on the post-war period.

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2019-06-27

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