The Tokutei kadai grant has been utilized in theacquisition of books that are significantly advancing my research on therelationship between domestic politics and Japanese foreign policy. Inparticular, I am looking at two policy areas of Japanese foreign /securitypolicy:(1) Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, the role of narratives for and against revision, and the legal structures governing the Japan Self-Defense Forces(2) Japan’s foreign policy vis-à-vis South Korea and theinteraction between historical memory and security cooperation.The principle sources of domestic politics underinvestigation include public opinion, domestic lobby groups, and the politicalpsychology of primary policy decision makers.I will be submitting journal articles for publication onthese two topics in the coming months.

This research investigated the influence of domestic politics on Japan's foreign and security policy, contributing to scholarly and policy understanding of the linkages between democratic politics and foreign policy in Japan, with implications for how external partners engage with Japanese policymakers and interpret the constraints shaping Japanese diplomacy.Findings were disseminated through publications and academic presentations:A book chapter titled "Domestic Sources of Japan's Security Policy" was published in the Handbook of Japanese Security (Amsterdam University Press, 2023), offering a comprehensive analysis of how domestic political factors shape Japan's evolving security posture.A co-authored chapter — "A Decade of Strategic Alignment and the Deepening of Japan-Australia Ties," with Shiro Armstrong and Yuma Osaki — appeared in the Handbook of Japan's Foreign and Domestic Policies During the Decade of Abe (MHM Limited, 2024).Findings on Article 9 were presented at the Waseda Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies (WIAPS) research seminar series in December 2022.In addition, the research informed policy-oriented commentary published through East Asia Forum on the US-Japan alliance, domestic political dynamics under the Suga, Kishida and Ishiba administrations, and Japan's strategic trajectory.