ABSTRACT
As mentioned in the Introduction to this book, the summit provides a snapshot of over a quarter-century of international history and imposes a structure upon events that might otherwise appear to be inchoate. Thus, the G7/8 would appear to provide a highly resonant framework or case study for a number of further studies on the mechanisms of global governance and the functioning of concert diplomacy. This is especially the case as a result of the US-led ‘war on terrorism’ in response to the terrorist attacks on the US of 11 September 2001 and the apparent marginalisation of the UN. It no longer appears fanciful to suggest a renaissance of both the G7/8 in the provision of global governance and related studies of its workings. The preceding chapters have contributed to our understanding by both describing Japan's role at the summit and analysing this twenty-eight-year history in order to establish the key actors and their chief motivating factors, shaped by norms. This chapter will adumbrate some of the broader themes in order to reiterate the power and resonance of this multilateral forum by suggesting the most important achievements of Japan's participation in the summit process, the styles of diplomacy employed and what the summit means to the Japanese government and its people.
