Paper short abstract

My paper examines how Japan’s energy vulnerabilities—particularly its dependence on Middle Eastern oil—were transformed into core national security concerns, reshaping Japan’s strategic identity and policy from postwar pacifism toward a more proactive security posture.

Paper long abstract

Japan depends heavily on imported energy, mainly from the politically unstable Middle East, which has shaped its security policies since World War II. This paper examines how energy insecurity pushed Japan to gradually shift away from strict pacifism and expand its conception of national security. By examining key events like the oil shocks of the 1970s, the Gulf War, post-9/11 threats, and the Fukushima disaster, the research shows that repeated energy crises were increasingly seen as serious threats to Japan's economic stability and social well-being. This approach helps connect energy challenges with Japan's evolving security strategy.

The article investigates two central questions: how energy insecurity influenced Japan's changing security identity, and how the principles of Comprehensive Security evolved after the 1980s. Using securitisation theory, constructivism, and complex interdependence, the study shows that energy vulnerabilities were not merely economic challenges but catalysts for institutional and normative adaptation. These theoretical perspectives reveal the interplay between material pressures, pacifist norms, and the constraints of alliance politics in guiding Japan's policy choices.

The research employs historical institutionalism and process tracing to connect energy shocks with gradual changes in Japan's institutions and strategy. It examines four main periods: the Cold War, the decade after the Cold War, new global threats from 2001 to 2014, and security reforms after 2015. Throughout this period, the Middle East remained important to Japan's strategy due to its role in energy supply.

The study's results show that energy crises and other issues threatening Japan's energy security have directly affected its security identity. In particular, Japan's security identity has been reflected in the activation of its security policy. Although the main provisions of Japan's Comprehensive Security Policy have been maintained, only the Self-Defence Forces' functions have been expanded, including their peacekeeping and peace-building roles․

Keywords: Japan; Security Policy; Energy Security; Pacifism; Middle East; Proactive Contribution to Peace; Security Identity.