International Law and Japanese Sovereignty

When domestic interests and norms undermine the rules-based order: Reassessing Japan's attitude toward international law

“…The next section will address Japan's path toward the achievement of full sovereignty in the international arena of colonial powers. From a historical perspective, Japan had to struggle hard to achieve recognition as an equal and sovereign power in the context of Western colonial aspirations and pressures (Miyazaki, 2022;Howland, 2016).…”

“…The idea of international law as it exists today based on the assumption of sovereignty, equality and common standards did not exist at the time in question. According to Howland (2016), "the nineteenth Century global community was influenced by multiple, competing visions of international law".…”

Rethinking Japan in mainstream international relations

“…Such reforms went hand in hand with efforts to achieve equal diplomatic and political status. Japan campaigned vigorously against unequal treatiesextraterritoriality was revoked in the late 1890s and tariff controls were removed in 1911 (Gong, 1984: 164-96;Howland, 2016). Japan worked hard to meet the 'standard of civilization' which appeared colour-blind both internally and externally.…”

“…Japan worked hard to meet the 'standard of civilization' which appeared colour-blind both internally and externally. In both the 1894-5 war against China, and the 1904-5 one against Russia, the Japanese went out of their way to treat prisoners of war in a humane fashion, carefully following the international law of war to demonstrate its 'civilized' nature (Paine, 2003: 175, 209;Howland, 2016).…”

Opening Legations: Japan’s First Resident Minister and the Diplomatic Corps in Europe

“…In 1874, for example, Ueno in London joined the International Law Association and, the following year, Aoki Shūzō in Berlin initiated negotiations for Japan's entry into the Universal Postal Union. 102 Less apparent from this critique, however, is the process of opening legations, the most visible symbol yet of Japan's participation, and the essential platform for such activities. Neither does it feature in Auslin's appraisal of the Iwakura Embassy "as a first step to remaking Japan's place in the world", even though, by this stage in 1871, Sameshima and Mori were already in situ in Paris and Washington 103 To send one-half the government abroad on a global tour was a landmark event, but the new legations created a more durable structure for Japan's engagement with the Western world.…”