ABSTRACT

This chapter investigates the implications for regional governance of Japan as a Cusp State in East Asia and Asia-Pacific. It reviews Japan's role as an imperial power in East Asia, starting in the late nineteenth century. The election of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) brought to power a political leader, Hatoyama Yukio, who aimed to tilt Japan towards East Asia. With Japan's support, the US has been included in the membership of the East Asia Summit, which breaks down the boundaries of the two regions. Thereafter, the Japanese government began to deploy Official Development Assistance (ODA) in East Asia as a means of strengthening links with the region economically. The legacy of Japan's imperial past continues as a potential constraint on regional governance. The lack of trust between Japan and its neighbours is one reason for the level of regional governance has remained at the informal level, rather than being embedded in legal commitments.