Preprint on Japan's Arctic Identity is Available

• Japan is not an Arctic country, but the Arctic has still become important in Japanese politics.

• This study looks at more than 70 years of debates in Japan’s National Diet to see how politicians talked about the Arctic.

• At first, the Arctic appeared only indirectly — in discussions about air routes, the Cold War, science, weather, farming, and energy.

• Over time, these separate discussions began to form a clearer picture of why Japan should care about the Arctic.

• After Japan became an observer in the Arctic Council in 2013, the Arctic became a more visible part of Japan’s foreign policy.

• Japan’s Arctic role came to focus on three main areas: science, economic interests, and international cooperation.

• Since 2022, the war in Ukraine and tensions with Russia have made Japan’s Arctic engagement more difficult, but not irrelevant.

• The study shows that Japan’s Arctic identity was not something inherited from geography. It was built gradually through political debate, practical interests, and international cooperation.

You can access our paper here.