ABSTRACT
There is very little evidence suggesting that fundamental or dramatic shifts in Japan's basic strategy and foreign policy are imminent or likely in the near future. Consequently, in looking at Japan's strategic and foreign policy options, I suggest that in addition to examining the recent and current foreign policy debate, we also attempt to peer into the next ten to twenty years, the late 1990s and the first decade of the twenty-first century. Given the rate and extent of change occurring in the international system, especially in the Soviet Union and Europe, and the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, it is more likely than at any time since the late 1940s and early 1950s that fundamental changes in the international system will occur during the next decade or two, which could compel Japan to change its strategy and foreign policy.
