Japan is an important economic case study of the world. The resilience of its people and its cultural conservativeness have been unique. It is one of the few countries that had the liberty of developing independently. While it adopted and adapted to modernize its system, it had done so on its terms. As a chain of islands bending towards the west, Japan’s geographical isolation had been a factor in its independence.
This notwithstanding, influence from Korea and China had occurred centuries before its modern history.
While Japan in the 19th and 20th centuries had dominated East, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands as an imperial power, it had not shown interest or colonised any territory in Africa. Its first elaborately recorded knowledge of Africans was in the 16th century when the Portuguese introduced African slaves to the Japanese court.
Japan’s other encounter with Africans was during the Second World War when African “subjects” of the British Empire were recruited to fight in the Asian theatre. Ghanaians, Nigerians and Cameroonians were among those who fought in Burma (Myanmar).
This notwithstanding, Japan had established relations with South Africa and to some extent Egypt and Ethiopia before the interwar the during the post-war period. The Asian power’s relations with Africa became more elaborate after WW II.
The end of imperial Japan after WW II met the post-war independence wave in Africa. In 1951, several African states started gaining independence from European powers. Itself occupied by external forces after the war, and Japan shared in the independence of African states in principle.
Almost immediately, the Asian country had established diplomatic relations with several newly independent African states. Currently, Japan has not less than 37 embassies and consulates across the continent.
With a fast economic recovery, Japan had become a leading global economy within two decades after the war. This meant enough surplus to advance its newfound soft power projection around the world. Africa was not left out.
During the period of its economic resuscitation, Japan gave significant aid to African states including grants and technical support for major projects. Through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) the country has sponsored many projects and programmes across Africa. Significant bilateral grants are also provided. For example, Japan provided a grant to Ghana to construct the Accra--Cape Coast Highway. The road that linked the country’s capital and the tourism hub became instrumental to the tourism sector of the country.
Japan has several companies operating across the continent. In 2015, one put the number of companies to be around 400. These operate across various sectors and employ the people. Notably, Japan has not engaged in hard power and the supply of armaments in the continent. This is a result of its strict arms export policy that emanates from post-World War II pacificism.
Japan's presence in Africa has, therefore, not been as intense as that of other Asian powers like China and India. It is still considered more concentrated in the Pacific. There is mutual respect in the relations between Japan and African states.
Security Issues:
In recent decades, Japan’s security has been defined by a rising China and nuclear North Korea. This has been characterized by territorial disputes in the Sea of Japan and the wider Western Pacific. North Korea’s incessant missile tests over Japan have also been a major concern.
These developments have meant that Japan moves away from its post-war pacifism and spends more on its military. With advanced technology and a robust economy, experts believe that this could lead to a dangerous arms race in the region that may exacerbate an already tense situation that involves the United States, China and Taiwan.
A shift from pacifism could mean less focus on Africa and more investment in arms. With more global powers focusing on the continent, it could also translate to the Asian countries creating strategic allies in the continent. In recent, times Japan has shown some military presence in Djibouti. The Horn of Africa country host military bases of multiple countries including China and the United States.
Verdict:
The economy of Japan offers broad lessons for African countries on how to develop by adopting best practices while keeping important cultural values. Africa can benefit from the country’s superior technology and the technical support it is ever ready to offer. With the mutual respect that comes with Japan’s relations with Africa, a lot could be achieved together.
