2000 年 2000 巻 123 号 p. 143-160,L16
To achieve the goals of political stability and economic reconstruction in Africa, both individual and collective self-help efforts by Africans themselves are essential. However, a considerable number of the problems Africa faces today have their historical origins outside the continent and the improvement or deterioration of the situation in Africa is closely linked to the behaviour of outside forces.
African international relations must be considered in terms of their significant and real political implications. Japan's relationship with Africa must also be considered in that context. Although it is not generally known, Japan established its relationship with Africa at the beginning of the 20th century, mainly through the spheres of trade and commerce. Yet the expression once prevailed in Africa that “While China exports Mao Tse-tung's thought, Japan exports Sony and Toyota”. As an external actor in Japan's African international relations, Tokyo's position was considered minor even in comparison with China and India and certainly well behind that of Western Europe and the USA.
An exceptional aspect of Japan's role was as one of the main backers of the white racist regimes from the middle of the 1960s which naturally brought about strong criticism both inside and outside of Africa. Tokyo's typical behavior was to quietly follow the European and American lead but this has drastically changed with the coming of the Post Cold war era. In 1993 (and 1998) Japan sponsored, the Tokyo International Conference on African Development. By organizing this conference in Tokyo, Japan was able to demonstrate to the outside world that it has the will and capacity to act as a global power for the stability and prosperity of the post Cold war world.
This article aims to reveal the decision-making structure employed in Japan's. African policy, reexamine the historical development of Japan's African policy and clarify problematic aspects of Japan's past policy so that a mutually respectful and beneficial relationship can be established between Africa and Japan in the 21st century.