Paper short abstract:

This paper compares Japan's aid policy to Angola and Mozambique and demonstrates why these two Lusophone countries are a good case for determining what has changed in Japan's aid policy to Africa as a result of the establishment of the Tokyo International Conference on Africa Development (TICAD).

Paper long abstract:

This paper compares Japan's aid policy to Angola and Mozambique before and after the TICAD. The argument of this paper is two fold: First, systemic changes combined with international and domestic factors led to a philosophical shift in Japan's foreign aid policy that was not oriented towards development assistance in post-conflict situations but simply as the provision of short-term humanitarian assistance. Second, that Angola and Mozambique are a good case for determining what has changed in Japan's aid policy to Africa as a result of Japan's increasing security role toward these two conflict-affected states, and of the establishment of the TICAD. These two Lusophone countries can be considered a 'model' of the TICAD framework. It concludes that although maintaining the political and resource interests of the past, Japan adopted new international norms to approaching development but applied its own methods which emphasizes the applicability of the Asian experiences in Africa, peacebuilding, and human security as a component of Japan's foreign policy that was not seen before the TICAD. The TICAD has boosted Japan's 'soft-power' diplomatic action in international relations as inspired new ways of thinking about international cooperation. The paper examines chronologically Japanese foreign aid, security, and development policy towards Angola and Mozambique from 1960 to 2010, divided into five phases. It then examines Japan's participation in Angola and Mozambique's peacekeeping operations, compares Japan's aid flows with major donors, outlines Japan's aid characteristics to both countries, the growing role of NGOs, and explains Japanese assistance within the TICAD framework.