Changing Security Policies in Postwar Japan

The Political Biography of Japanese Defense Minister Sakata Michita

This book is the English translation of a recent biography of Sakata Michita, one of Japan’s leading, yet unassuming, politicians in the postwar era, who was even considered a serious contender for the premiership. While he did not become prime minister himself, he did serve as Justice Minister, Education Minister, Welfare Minister, Defense Minister, and Speaker of the House of Representatives. What’s more, he served an incredible seventeen uninterrupted terms as a member of the Lower House, from 1946-1990, one of the longest in Japanese history. Sakata was appointed Director General of the Japan Defense Agency (i.e., Minister of Defense) in December 1974 during a challenging time in U.S.-Japan relations in the wake of the resignations of U.S. President Richard M. Nixon and Japanese Prime Minister Tanaka Kakuei, for separate scandals. As Japan’s only ally, the relationship with the United States was crucial for the latter country, and it was up to Sakata to manage alliance relations during this period. He was not a security expert, yet used his political experience, studious nature, sincerity, and likeability among his staff, subordinates, colleagues, and personnel to make a lasting impression on his nation’s forces, and on Japan’s alliance partner. He succeeded in developing the first-ever National Defense Program Outline and the Basic Defense Force Concept among other initiatives during the crisis-filled 1970s. Furthermore, he developed a close policy dialogue with the United States which eventually led to the original U.S.-Japan Guidelines for Defense Cooperation. He did all this despite being a novice in defense matters. Furthermore, he is the longest consecutive serving defense minister in Japanese history, taking highly principled stances during his time.