Title: Paul Midford
Review: The Japanese people and foreign policyAlthough forgotten for many decades, Douglas Mendel's pioneering book on public opinion and foreign policy in democratic Japan is a must-read starting point for understanding the influence of public opinion on Japanese foreign policy today. This topic is more timely than ever, with Japanese public opinion flexing its muscle in foreign policy by deflating the recent movement for constitutional revision or reinterpretation, and by reigning in efforts by hawkish elites to involve the Japanese military in overseas combat operations. A co-edited volume authored by Robert Eldridge and myself explores how Japanese public opinion has shaped Japan's response to the war on terrorism. Mendel's pioneering book provides an important back ground to the arguments we advance there. In short, Mendel's book is an excellent starting point for rediscovering the long forgotten role of public opinion in Japanese foreign policy.
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