ABSTRACT
Since it yielded to the demands of Commodore Perry and opened its doors to the outside world in 1858, Japan has sought a legitimate status in the international community. The nation initially attempted to establish its international position by catching up with Europe and the United States. In the first half of the twentieth century, Japan attempted to expand its territories and its influence in order to become a power that could compare to other imperial powers, a quest which ended in the nation’s defeat in the Second World War. In the second half of the twentieth century, Japan focused on post-war reconstruction and economic growth, adopting a pacifist stance and playing a limited security role.
