- 著者
-
DISSYUKOV Almas
- 出版者
- 筑波大学大学院人文社会科学研究科国際日本研究専攻
- 雑誌
- 国際日本研究 = International and advanced Japanese studies (ISSN:21860564)
- 巻号頁・発行日
- vol.11, pp.1-21, 2019-02
To date, the issue of multilateral cooperation between Japan and Central Asian countries has not been widely covered by the international academic community. Indeed, the absence of this particular research casts doubt on the existence of initial publications about the presence of a full-fledged Japanese foreign policy strategy in Central Asia. Nowadays, in a narrow sense, the "Central Asia plus Japan" dialogue is the only dialogue platform between Japan and Central Asia. The dialogue is also a unique example of how Japan and the Central Asian republics cooperate on critical issues of the regional and international agenda. The present article is aimed at evaluating the current role of the" Central Asia plus Japan" dialogue from the Japanese perspective. The goal is to examine the activities of the dialogue from 2004 to 2018, starting with key stages in the formation of Japanese strategy towards Central Asia (1991?2018), including those that led to the creation of the dialogue. Constructivism is the primary theoretical framework used in this thesis, drawing on the sub-theory of "conference diplomacy" for a more in-depth analysis of the dialogue as a communication mechanism. The research questions were answered by the author using discourse analysis and desk research of relevant documents belonging to the dialogue, including speeches, presentations and outcome documents. In addition, the author conducted several interviews with former officials and scholars who directly participated in the dialogue's formation. The uniqueness of the present work lies in the fact that the case of the "Central Asia plus Japan" dialogue has not been considered before in such detail. This study helps reveal the essence of the dialogue, including its principles and modus operandi. The author also could trace the process of the transformation of the dialogue and its perception from the Japanese perspective. Through this, the author found specific "norms" which guide the multilateral nature of Central Asia-Japan cooperation.