A Japanese view of the West, an 1850s woodblock print of a contemporary American merchant ship by Hiroshige II
Courtesy Chadbourne Collection, Library of Congress

Japan's geography--particularly its insular character, its limited endowment of natural resources, and its exposed location near potentially hostile giant neighbors--has played an important role in the development of its foreign policy. In premodern times, Japan's semi-isolated position on the periphery of the Asian mainland was an asset (see Physical Setting , ch. 2). It permitted the Japanese to exist as a self-sufficient society in a secure environment. It also allowed them to borrow selectively from the rich civilization of China while maintaining their own cultural identity. Insularity promoted a strong cultural and ethnic unity, which underlay the early development of a national consciousness that has influenced Japan's relations with outside peoples and cultures throughout its history.

Data as of January 1994

NOTE: The information regarding Japan on this page is re-published from The Library of Congress Country Studies and the CIA World Factbook. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Japan MAJOR FOREIGN POLICY GOALS AND STRATEGIES information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Japan MAJOR FOREIGN POLICY GOALS AND STRATEGIES should be addressed to the Library of Congress and the CIA.