ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the development of Japan–Philippine relations over the decades represents the emergence of what can be referred to as "Japan in Asia". It traces the deepening of Japan–Philippine socio-economic relations since the 1990s. The chapter highlights the roles of official development assistance (ODA), trade, and foreign direct investment (FDI), as well as movement of people, which is now institutionalized through the Japan–Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA). Japanese FDI has played a dominant role in promoting industrialization in the Philippines, where the agricultural sector had once contributed the most to gross domestic product (GDP). The chapter examines the widening phase of relations by looking at Japan's engagement in the peace-building process in Mindanao and broader security cooperation in light of the changing regional security environment. It analyzes the implications of Philippine–Japan relations to the broader context of Japan's changing diplomacy.
