The Heavenly Land and the Land of the Rising Sun: Historical Linkages, Security Cooperation and Strategic Partnership

Contents: Preface. Introduction. Part I: Historical Linkages and Geo-Strategic Imperatives: 1. Cultural Connections—Foundation for Security Cooperation. 2. Linkages with Japan during India’s Independence Struggle and the Second World War. 3. Geography and Strategic Factors Shaping Security of Japan. Part II: Security Cooperation: 4. Maturing India-Japan Security Cooperation. 5. Maritime Security Cooperation. 6. Cooperation in UN Peacekeeping Operations. Part III: Strategic Affinity: 7. Consolidating the Strategic Partnership in a Regional Context. Part IV: Quantitative Analyses and Recommendations: 8. Quantitative Assessment: Criteria for India-Japan Security Cooperation. 9. Recommendations. 10. The Way Ahead. Appendices. Index.

Security relations between India and Japan hold great potential to shape the future security architecture of the Indo-Pacific region. This book delves into this aspect holistically tracing the linkages between the two countries with advent of Buddhism into Japan from India, through China and Korea. Geography and strategic factors shaping the security of Japan have been evaluated and issues of defence cooperation, maritime security, cooperation in UN Peace Keeping Operations and strategic partnership between Indian and Japan have been deliberated. Set in both, a bilateral as well as a regional context, the security dynamics between the two countries have been analysed to arrive at pragmatic recommendations that must be implemented for an enhanced relationship in the security realm. Quantitatively assessing India-Japan security cooperation, the book carries out a Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat (SWOT) analysis to arrive at the strategies for enhancement of such cooperation.

A must read for strategists, defence personnel and all scholars of East Asian affairs.