Abstract
There is increasing concern in Japan that the growth and aggressiveness of the Chinese military could negatively affect Japanese security. Indeed, Japanese policy concerning the East China Sea and related issues resists any acceptance of China’s regional domination or perceived aggression. This article includes a short history of relations between Japan and China in the East China Sea and discusses four Japanese fears: first, the security of the sea lane of communication (SLOC); second, the loss of the Senkaku Islands; third, the loss of Taiwan’s de-facto independence; and fourth, the loss of energy resources. I proceed to ask whether Japanese policy in the East China Sea operates from a defensive realist position, and offer a national-level analysis that provides a look at what concerns Japanese leaders and why their apprehensions have induced policy change.
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