Japan in 2022
Lars Vargö
Japan underwent important changes and developments during 2022. At the beginning of the year, the international trade agreement RCEP came into force. Borders started to open to foreign visitors towards the end of the year due to the Covid-19 restrictions. Japan disapproved of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine which also caused Japan to abandon its traditional security and defense policy and re-examine its energy policies promoting more sustainable energy. The assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe due to his connections to the Korean Unification Church among other politicians left Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in a weaker position based on the opinion polls. The overall foreign and security policy priorities highlighted a stable relationship with China and the importance of the alliance with the US and South Korea. On the contrary, the relations with South Korea saw signs of thaw during the year. North Korea remained a concern after firing missiles at the Sea of Japan and over Japan’s airspace.
Read this take by Lars Vargo, Head of the Stockholm Japan Center at the ISDP, published in The 2023 Annual Register: World Events (ProQuest: Annual Register), edited by D.S. Lewis and Wendy Slater
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