Forthcoming

Balancing the Rising Tides: Japan’s Indo-Pacific Trajectory Geopolitical Shifts, Strategic Partnerships and National Vision

Simran Walia

Balancing the Rising Tides: Japan’s Indo-Pacific Trajectory offers a critical examination of Japan’s evolving role in the Indo-Pacific region amidst intensifying geopolitical currents. As strategic rivalries sharpen and alliances shift, Japan stands at a pivotal crossroads—balancing its pacifist constitution, alliance with the United States, and growing security responsibilities in the face of China’s rise. This book delves into Tokyo’s diplomatic recalibrations, economic statecraft, maritime strategy, and regional partnerships, mapping out how Japan seeks to assert its agency while maintaining regional stability. The author delves into a nuanced exploration of Japan’s strategic recalibration in response to the shifting tides of Indo-Pacific geopolitics. Drawing from academic research and policy engagement, the author delves into Japan’s efforts to maintain equilibrium between its pacifist postwar identity and its emerging role as a proactive regional actor. This work is the culmination of the author’s longstanding engagement with the region’s security architecture and foreign policy discourse. It serves as both a scholarly contribution and a policy-relevant guide for understanding how Japan is redefining its role in a turbulent Indo-Pacific order.

It is an essential read for scholars, policymakers, and readers seeking to understand the complex interplay shaping Asia’s future.

Simran Walia

Ms Simran Walia is a Research Analyst at Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), New Delhi and is pursuing a PhD in Japanese Studies under the Centre for East Asian Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. She has worked as an Associate Fellow at the Centre for Aerospace Power & Strategic Studies (CAPSS), New Delhi and has also worked at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), New Delhi. She has completed her M.Phil in Japanese Studies from JNU. Her research interests lie in Japan’s foreign and security policy and overall Indo-Pacific dynamics.

Ms Simran has published papers and articles on Indo-Pacific dynamics and Japan’s foreign policy and security issues on various platforms such as The Diplomat, Asia Times, The National Interest, and Global Policy Journal, among others. She has also presented her work at National as well as International Conferences.

Contents

Introduction

Preface

Acknowledgements

Map and Table

Abbreviations

1. Bridging the Past and Future: Japan’s Strategic Legacy in the Indo-Pacific
2. China’s Expansionist Behaviour: Japan’s Threat in the Indo-Pacific
3. Partners in the Indo-Pacific: Japan’s Deepening Ties with the Quad
4. Values in Action: Japan’s Engagement with Democratic Allies Beyond the Quad
5. Assessing Japan’s Military Capabilities and Air Power in the Indo-Pacific

Index