Publication

The murder of Japanese hostages by ISIS in the first months of 2015 has renewed debates about the country’s role in the world. This article looks at the impact of the hostage crisis on the country, arguing that the event 1) strengthened the country’s resolve to ‘normalize’ itself, 2) illustrated the weaknesses of the pacifist Left, and 3) enabled Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to demonstrate his use of ‘Kantei Diplomacy’.