Japan S Foreign Aid Policy In Africa

The Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) was established in 1993 with the intention of creating opportunities for trade and investment on both sides and the promotion of sustainable development. In 2003, the conference translated Japanese aid policy to Africa into three key pillars: human centered development, poverty reduction through economic growth, and the consolidation of peace, and since 2005 Africa has on several occasions been the largest recipient of Japanese overseas aid. Tracing Japanese foreign aid to Africa during and after the Cold War, this book examines how the TICAD process sits at the intersection of international relations and domestic decision making. Indeed, it questions whether the increase in aid has been driven by domestic changes such as demands from civil society and donor interest, or pressures emanating from the international system. Taking Angola and Mozambique as case studies, the book explores how Japan's development cooperation with Africa has assisted previously war torn states make the transition from war to peace, and in doing so demonstrates the centrality of human security to Japanese foreign policy as a means of ensuring sustainable development. This book will have great interdisciplinary appeal to students and scholars of Japanese and African studies, Japanese politics, international relations theory, foreign policy, economic development and sustainable development.

Japan and many African countries have come to realize that both sides can obtain benefits through closely coordinated aid policies. This book examines Japan's foreign aid policy within the theme of a globalized economy in which Japan and Africa are inextricably connected.

Japan's Foreign Aid Policy in Africa seeks to evaluate TICAD's intellectual contribution to and its development practices regarding Africa over the past 20 years. A central conclusion is that, while TICAD bureaucrats lacked agency to support Japanese companies in Africa, the model of emerging powers partnerships has expanded in Africa.

Assesses the transformation of Japan's foreign aid policies within the context of the nation's changing economic and political relations throughout Asia and beyond.

Cover -- Half Title -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Table of Contents -- List of figures -- List of tables -- Notes on contributors -- Preface -- Note on names and transcriptions -- List of abbreviations -- 1 Global change: Japan's role in the making of a new aid architecture -- 2 The peculiarities of Japan's ODA and the implications for African development -- 3 Aligning policy with practice: Japanese ODA and normative values -- 4 The development cooperation paradigm under the "new partnership" and its implications for Japan's aid -- 5 The securitization of Japan's ODA: new strategies in changing regional and domestic contexts -- 6 The US pivot to Asia and Japan's Development Cooperation Charter -- 7 Japanese ODA and the challenge of Chinese aid in Africa -- 8 The changing global aid architecture: an opportunity for Japan to play a proactive global role? -- 9 Comparing Japan and the European Union: the development cooperation policies of two civilian powers -- 10 Network-based development cooperation as a way forward for Japan -- 11 The impact of public opinion on Japan's aid policy: before and after the New Development Assistance Charter -- 12 An Asian aid paradigm: Japan leading from behind -- Index.

Once the world's largest ODA provider, contemporary Japan seems much less visible in international development. However, this book demonstrates that Japan, with its own aid philosophy, experiences, and models of aid, has ample lessons to offer to the international community as the latter seeks new paradigms of development cooperation.

When this volume was published in 1993 it was the first comprehensive analysis of the major policy issues confronting Japan’s massive foreign aid programme. It deals with the philosophy behind Japan’s aid, Japanese reactions to the severe criticisms of its programmes and the beginnings of meaningful administrative reform of the complex aid system. Alan Rix goes on to examine the widespread innovation in programmes and policies to make Japan’s aid more responsive and the impact of the Asian bias in Japan’s aid.