Ordinary/civilian, not normative/post-modern

What type of security identity does Japan possess? Using Manners and Whitman’s ‘difference engine’ argument, we suggest that Japan can and should be both an ordinary power and a civilian power. Japan should not self-identify as a post-modern or normative power, as these self-identifications can be inherently conflict-producing. Assumption of ordinary power sends a reassuring signal to the US that Japan is a dependable ally. And the tone and language of civilian power are a more appropriate means through which to engage China, downplaying confrontational rhetoric about democracy and human rights, and emphasizing a commitment to the rule of international law.