“Japanese Diplomacy in the Asia-Pacific Order” (Showado 2009)

Kazuomi Sakai (Visiting Researcher of Osaka University School of Letters)

I am most honored to receive the 26th Masayoshi Ohira Memorial Prize. I am very glad to hear the unexpected evaluation because I realize my research is not in the mainstream of the studies of international relations and diplomatic history.
Why did Japan, which had aimed at adapting itself to the Western civilization, follow the path to the Pacific War, and eventually destroyed itself? I think that this question corresponds with the present Japanese situation wandering in the international society. The key concept of my book is ‘the standard of Civilization’. I have examined the idea of internationalism on Japanese foreign policy in the Meiji and Taisyo Eras. When I had started my theme, I was in favor of globalism. However, I gradually changed my opinion and was increasingly interested in the negative influences of ‘the standard of Civilization’ -the globalism in the early 20 century. Generally speaking, it has been criticized that globalism assumed an aspect of imperialism. But at the same time, advancing internationalization of Japanese society was a vital factor in the process of globalization. I have been interested in Internationalists who were indifferent to ordinary people that could not adapt themselves to internationalization.
The elite who led the civilization of Japan considered ordinary people as ignorant, because they would not understand international cooperation and emotionally hated Western countries. On the other hand, the elite resisted the military which intended to create the wartime despotism. It seems to be difficult to fairly evaluate the virtue and vice of the internationalism in pre-war Japan. I will try to solve this antinomic features of Japanese internationalists.
My research is still in progress, and the Masayoshi Ohira Memorial Prize encourages me to study diligently to deepen my study.

Profile
Visiting Researcher of Osaka University School of Letters　2007 to present
Research Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science 2004 to 2007
Ph.D. in History, 2002, OSAKA UNIVERSITY, Osaka
M.A. in Politics, 1999, KEIO-GIJYUKU UNIVERSITY, Tokyo
B.A. in History, 1996, OSAKA UNIVERSITY, Osaka