Description
As a space-faring nation, Japan stands out by being an atypical space actor. Unlike Western space actors who often transplant terrestrial diplomatic ideas to the space domain, or Eastern actors who rely on science diplomacy through independent engagement, Japan’s approach to space diplomacy is tied to recognising space as a foreign policy domain. This has allowed Japan to establish itself as a space actor that can cultivate its economic, diplomatic and defence interests within a unique domain of global politics. While IR scholarship has been opening up to the concept of space diplomacy, there is a need to rethink the concept considering the uniqueness of the space domain. By drawing upon the policy entrepreneur role within Kingdon’s Multi Stream Framework and elite interviews, this paper contributes to understanding Japan’s space diplomacy as a model for bridging Western and Eastern space actors.
