ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter is to examine Japanese decision-making on climate change and related multilateral agreements. Climate change is a global environmental problem that has gained political significance in the last fifteen years. During that time, Japan's interest in the issue has increased rapidly. It was one of the last countries to enter the climate change debate, but today it continually submits proposals and stimulates international negotiation on the issue. Behind an apparently unified international face lie different Japanese views. In Japan, different actors have interpreted climate change policies in various ways. Some have considered it an environmental problem, others an integral part of energy policies. However, climate change as foreign policy has been the most influential driving force in shaping Japan's response to climate change.
