Line of Advantage provides a timely analysis of the tenure of Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and Japan’s increasingly assertive role in responding to a rising China. It gives an overview of Abe’s political history, his national security legislation and Japan’s diplomatic relationships. The title of this book comes from Meiji Leader Yamagata Aritomo, who observed that Japan had to think beyond its immediate territory to “consider where to draw the line of advantage (riekesen) to shape the external environment and prevent a rival power from controlling critical access points to Japan.” This expanded interpretation of its defence region is key for understanding the recent changes in Japan’s military capabilities.

The main argument of this book is that Abe has transformed Japan’s multi-tiered grand strategy for a generation. The Abe era marked an end for the Yoshida Doctrine, a post-war strategy of focusing on the economy while relying on the security alliance with the United States. Green summarises several non-military instruments of national power and discusses how these have changed in response to shifting security-minded national goals. The book closes with a careful examination of Japan’s internal and external balancing strategies to improve their position in relation to China.

Each section provides a brief historical background, some chapters referring to the geography and ancient history of Japan, while other chapters outline Japan’s emergence from isolation into a world of imperial colonialism. Much of Japan’s history is viewed through the lens of maritime power, ranging from its connections with the British Royal Navy, its seapower-oriented policies and of course the ongoing issues with island territory disputes. If you’ve read Lambert’s Seapower States, you’ll be surprised to see so much focus on Japan as a maritime power, which “began emerging as early as the seventeenth century.” The author describes this as an “intellectual lineage” which shapes Abe’s approach to the FOIP, the QUAD and the U.S.- Japan alliance. This thread continues through each chapter. For example, the author refers to the 1965 writings of scholar Kosaka Masataka which argued that Japan relies on its seas for commerce and security and “therefore needed the U.S.-Japan alliance, but that the oceans could also be the source of Japan’s independent identity and purpose as a leader in trade, investment, science and the expansion of international law.” Japan as a maritime state has achieved economic growth through the “Stable and Open Seas” or in supporting a rule of law which promotes the freedom of movement. Readers might want to brace themselves for more information about sea-lanes than perhaps they were expecting.

I recently read Japan 1941 by Eri Hotta and while I loved it, Line of Advantage answered a lot unanswered questions that remained from Japan 1941 . For example, it described why there was such a cultural difference between those who served in the Imperial Japanese Navy and the Imperial Japanese Army. The book also outlines recent security and political developments while touching on WWII legacy issues such as visits to Yasukuni Shrine and regional distrust and troubled diplomatic relations rooted in historical disputes. It is this context which allows us to understand Japan’s evolving and increasingly proactive security policy. These changes included the introduction of bills re-interpret the constitution in favour of collective self-defense and to expand the Self-Defense Forces’ capacity for operations.

When discussing concepts such as grand strategy and the balancing of power, the author relies heavily on the writings of “the original ancient Greek realist” Thucydides. He observed that smaller states aligned with more powerful states face being brought into conflicts they otherwise would have avoided. Seek too much independence however, and they risk being abandoned by the larger power when they face a threat. This “Thucydidean dilemma” is referred to throughout the book, particularly when referencing Japan’s relationship with the United States.

There is much here on the US-Japan relationship and while I knew the basic key points of their histories, it was surprising to read how some Japanese politicians have carefully avoided uncomfortable and politically unpopular conversations about Japan’s military aims and funding by deferring to their relationship with the US military. I had not previously considered that there may be domestic political advantages to keeping the US military presence in Japan. The author gently admonishes US policy makers and politicians for their weak knowledge about Japan and for failing to understand how their decisions or statements have unconsciously played into narratives about who has legitimate claim to territory. I found these sections really challenged previous assumptions I had which frankly were mainly based on opinion articles and tweets about Abe’s security legislation. Green described how “a generation of American foreign policy leaders with primary experience in Europe or the Middle East are still conditioned to view Japan as an adjunct to U.S. strategy rather than an increasingly successful thought leader in its own right.” He provides numerous examples about how the U.S. and other countries, such as Australia, could learn from Japan’s deliberate and successful plan for enhancing stability and freedom of navigation while also preserving economic relationships. It was great to read about long-term policy activity from outside the U.S. for its alternative insights and subtle methods.

Line of Advantage is a splendid book for developing an understanding of Japan’s changing grand strategy and its development across the political spectrum. Although the author refers to specific terms mainly used in foreign policy and diplomacy circles, everything is neatly defined. Green draws on English and Japanese language sources from military historians, international political scholars and cultural experts to describe not only what has happened but why those things happened and how they were perceived. I strongly recommend this book for anyone interested in international studies, foreign policy, economics or security issues. Japan is attempting to delicately shape the environment around China by strengthening and diversifying its other relationships in the region, “…but for the first time over a century, Japan’s strategy toward China is now animated by Chinese power rather than Chinese weakness.”

Associate Professor and Policy Analyst Michael Green tells the story of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan and his expansionist policy politically, militarily, and economically. No greater example of this is the JS Izumo and JS Kaga helicopter carrier capable of launching F-35 fighters. Will this new experiment survive the domestic challenge post-Prime Minister Abe only time will tell.

A particularly interesting book that gives a good look at Japan, its position in the world, and the rule of Shinzo Abe, which determines the development of the country for a long time to come. I recommend!

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