%0 Journal Article
%T Transforming Security Politics: Jun'Ichiro Koizumi and the Gaullist Tradition in Japan
%A ENVALL
%A H.D.P.
%J Electronic Journal of Contemporary Japanese Studies
%D 2008
%I University Sheffield
%X This article examines whether there is an identifiable Gaullist tradition in post-war Japanese security politics and how the security policies of Koizumi Jun'ichir¨­, a recent Japanese prime minister, compare to such a tradition. The article argues that Gaullism has been a minority tradition in domestic Japanese politics and so its practitioners have often compromised on their goals out of political necessity. Its most distinctive characteristic, therefore, has been its inward-looking agenda, the preoccupation with achieving a domestic political transformation in order to make Japan's domestic politics more conducive to its agenda. Although Koizumi did not pursue a strategy encompassing all of Gaullism's goals, he did make great efforts to pursue the Gaullist agenda. More importantly, he followed this established pattern of directing his efforts inward, toward a transformation of Japan's domestic politics of security.
%K Japan
%K security
%K Gaullism
%K politics
%U http://www.japanesestudies.org.uk/articles/2008/Envall.html