Rethinking Japanese Public Opinion and Security

"This book is an important textbook not just for students and scholars in international relations, political science, and Asian studies, but for policy makers in Japan and the United States as well. This book should be on the reading list of anyone wanting to understand the changes in Japan's security policy over the last two decades and how it might influence Japan's future security policy."—Alon Levkowitz, H-Net
"The influence of public opinion on Japanese foreign and security policy has not been deeply studied up to this point. By providing a clearly structured and meticulous analysis of the problem Paul Midford has thereby done scholars of the "Japan puzzle" a valuable service. . . [This] volume represents the outstanding work on the topic of public opinion/security policy in Japan and is indispensible for specialists working in this area."—Thomas S. Wilkins, Pacific Affairs
"[I]ndispensable . . . Midford's book should be read by all scholars and students of Japanese security policy. It is path breaking, if not yet definitive, in setting out a systematic understanding of how Japanese public opinion can affect security policy and offers up another sophisticated categorization—one that other scholars must engage—of the trajectory of Japanese security policy in the shape of 'Defensive Realism.'"—Christopher W. Hughes, Journal of Japanese Studies
"Midford needs to be praised for collecting such a large number of opinion data and bringing them together in an easy-to-read narrative, illustrating the shifts and changes in public opinion, the original and then changing government narrative, and how public attitudes shaped these changes . . . Overall, this book is an important contribution not only to Japanese security studies, but also to the study of Japanese democracy."—Wilhelm M. Vosse, International Relations of the Asia-Pacific
"Paul Midford has written a ground breaking study that provides vital perspective on a much neglected dimension of Japanese foreign and security policy making. At a time when confusion abounds over the long-term orientation of Japanese policy, Midford's study provides valuable insight on the underlying structures that set the parameters for decision makers in Tokyo. It deserves to be read by anyone interested in Japan, the international relations of East Asia, and US policy in the region."—Thomas U. Berger, Department of International Relations, Boston University