Goriacheva Elena

Japanese Postcolonialism in Relation to the Pacific Island States

ЮГО-ВОСТОЧНАЯ АЗИЯ: АКТУАЛЬНЫЕ ПРОБЛЕМЫ РАЗВИТИЯ, 2025, №4(69), 34-47

 
Annotation: The article analyzes Japan’s foreign policy toward the Pacific Small Island States through the theoretical lens of postcolonialism within the framework of contemporary international relations theories. The origins of Japan’s national interests in the Asia-Pacific region can be traced back to the early 20th century, particularly to the aftermath of World War I, when, under the Treaty of Versailles, Japan was granted the rights to the former German colonial possessions in Micronesia and received a League of Nations mandate to administer the South Seas Islands. Subsequently, Japan’s relations with the region evolved in complex and often contradictory ways—from occupation and militarization during World War II to economic assistance and development cooperation in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. This historical continuity is examined in terms of the residual “colonial” elements present in the Pacific Island States. In particular, the article considers whether certain aspects of Japan’s past approach persist in its contemporary foreign policy—such as the “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” (FOIP) concept, climate change assistance programs, and infrastructure export initiatives—and whether these policies risk overlooking the agency and “island perspective” of Pacific nations. At the same time, the study assesses Japan’s efforts to overcome the negative legacy of occupation memory through the revitalization of cultural and humanitarian exchanges, with due consideration to environmental factors, local cultures, and the emerging challenges and opportunities for building an equitable partnership between Japan and the Small Island Developing States of the Pacific.

Keywords: Japan, Pacific Island States (PIS), postcolonialism, historical memory, Official Development Assistance (ODA), Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)