Introduction

Japan is often described as a pacifist country and it is generally considered that pacifist attitudes pervade its culture. The provisions of Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan provide a firm basis for Japan's pacifist image. Political sociology provides a critical standpoint for examining Japanese pacifism because it helps to link state and popular viewpoints, offering a frame of analysis through which to investigate the interrelationships between politics, society, social structure, ideology and culture. This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book considers whether Japan is indeed abandoning pacifism, or if Japanese pacifism is simply taking on a new form amidst changing regional and global contexts. It explores structural conditions of Japan's polity: the Constitution of Japan and the Japan and US alliance. The book explores Japanese philosophy and thoughts towards war and peace in history.