The passing of Emperor Sh-owa marked the end of an era—an era
memorable in both war and peace. As is the custom, the new
emperor's reign was given a new name, in this case "Heisei," but this
did not mean a reset on the international stage. The persistent diplomatic
issues remained, and, furthermore, new issues arose. Promoting
global peace and stability, preventing natural disasters, relations with
China, regional cooperation, Japan's role in the international order are
just some of the many outstanding issues. How did Japan approach
them and deal with them? What was accomplished and what still
needs to be done? Given the issues' paramount importance for both
Japan and the world at large, this anthology brings together influential
essays published by five of Japan's leading scholars during the period.