Abstract
“A crisis almost always reveals the reality, and the Persian Gulf crisis revealed the real Japan. In the moment of truth, an economic superpower found itself merely an automatic teller machine-one that needed a kick before dispensing the cash. The notion that economic power inevitably translates into geopolitical influence turned out to be a materialist illusion. At least many Japanese now seem to subscribe to that view.” In light of this crisis, Yoichi Funabashi, one of the most influential commentators in Japan, proposes a new vision for Japan: “global civilian power”—a nation that makes active contribution to the international community through an economic, diplomatic, civilian approach rather than a military one.