Normality of International Norms: Power, Interests, and Knowledge in Japan's ODA Politics

抄録

The Abe administration commenced a campaign to standardize the idea of ‘quality infrastructure’ investment in the international community in 2015, meaning that Japan has sought to become a norm entrepreneur. This paper examines the Abe administration's campaign for quality infrastructure as an international norm. First, this paper provides an overview of the dynamics of international development norms. Next, it describes how Japan has so far faced the dynamics of international development norms. It discusses why Japan has changed its traditional stance to aim at becoming a norm entrepreneur, and how Japan undertook activities to achieve this goal. Finally, it evaluates the activities toward international standardization of quality infrastructure by the Abe administration and the concept of quality infrastructure as an international norm. It thereby provides some insights into the future of ODA policies and international norms.