Why Japan is not setting the global agenda – Japan’s virtual Berlin Wall

Co-authored by Robert Dujarric and Ayumi Takenaka in The Oriental Economist, this article laments Japan’s surprisingly low profile in global affairs despite being the world’s third-largest economy. The authors observe that Japan produces very few internationally influential figures in politics, academia, or NGOs – a symptom of its inward-looking establishment. They cite how Japan’s elites are mostly trained domestically (few foreign students in top Japanese universities and few Japanese studying abroad), and how Japanese professionals rarely pursue careers in international institutions or foreign companies. The metaphorical “Berlin Wall” is Japan’s self-imposed barrier keeping its people and ideas largely at home, while other nations’ elites cross borders freely.

This insularity means Japan often fails to drive global conversations or lead international initiatives – it “isn’t setting the global agenda.” Dujarric and Takenaka illustrate that Japan’s contributions to global think tanks, NGOs, and multinational leadership are disproportionately small. They warn that maintaining this wall – through resistance to immigration, lack of English fluency, and limited openness – will further marginalize Japan’s voice in world affairs. The analysis suggests Japan must tear down this virtual wall by internationalizing its education and careers if it hopes to shape global trends rather than passively follow them.