Japan's Space Diplomacy

Abstract

This report assesses the prospects for Japan to utilize its space capabilities to improve formal diplomatic relations with its East Asian neighbors, China and South Korea. In the modern age, space has the potential to bring about economic, scientific, and industrial prosperity for Japan. At the same time, Japan faces two especially difficult challenges in forging space diplomacy. First, Japan has thorny relations with its neighbors, stemming from dual-use space technology and longstanding tensions. Second, these factors complicate opportunities for formal space-centered collaboration at a regional level. Recognizing that diplomacy can have an independent impact on international outcomes, our report will explain where and how Japan can lead diplomatic initiatives in the space domain to enhance regional collaboration and thereby create a more peaceful and prosperous East Asia. In this report, we define space diplomacy as the use of communication, persuasion, and bargaining by actors within established or emerging contexts, national capabilities, institutions, or venues, leading to cooperative or conflicting outcomes on a specific space matter.