ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that multiple factors collide to compel and constrain Japan's multilateralism, with factors such as the United States (US)-Japan security alliance simultaneously inducing and impeding regional integration. It provides the evolution of Japan's regionalism since the 1990s. The chapter analyzes how Japan's complex and often-contradictory relations with China and the US simultaneously incentivize and impede its pursuit of regional integration. It addresses the definitions of regionalism and discusses theoretical considerations. The chapter also argues that no single theory of international relations adequately explains Japan's regionalist policies, which are best analyzed through multiple frames. It includes analysis of Japan's policy successes and failures across a number of regional trades, financial and political forums. The chapter also includes free trade areas (FTAs) and formalized annual meetings to capture the prevalence of gradualism in Asian inter-government collaboration. It considers that the geographic location of Japan's regional activities shifts depending on the specific project and purpose at hand.
