ABSTRACT
This chapter provides theoretical foundations for multilateralism and presents some implications for Japan’s foreign relations after the Cold War. In the Cold War era, Japan’s security policies were based on two pillars—the Self-Defense Forces and the US—Japan Security Treaty. Therefore, Japan leaned heavily toward bilateralism in the security area. The types of international system and the types of distribution of national preferences determine significantly whether security regimes are forged or not, and what kinds of security regimes will be created if they are ever created. The chapter aims to clarify the meaning and possible types of multilateralism by utilizing the concept of the international regime. It examines the security regimes from some three different perspectives. They include: what the relations are among the members within the regime and what the relationship is of the regime vis-a-vis the non-members; what security roles the regimes are supposed to play; and how the security regimes relate themselves to the overall relations between nations.
