Parochialism: Japan’s Failure to Internationalize

Parochialism: Japan’s Failure to Internationalize, by Robert Dujarric, appears in Critical Issues in Contemporary Japan, edited by Jeff Kingston. This chapter confronts the widening gap between Japan’s global economic power and its deepening social and institutional isolation. Drawing from the historical legacy of sakoku (鎖國), or national seclusion, Dujarric reveals how modern Japan remains reluctant to engage with global flows of people, ideas, and capital. Despite the rise of international education and cross-border exchange, Japan continues to underperform in foreign investment, workforce diversity, and global organizational representation.

Essential reading for those studying Japanese foreign policy, cultural globalization, and international education, this chapter critiques Japan’s parochial mindset as a critical vulnerability in the 21st century. Dujarric warns that without a deliberate shift toward greater openness, Japan risks strategic stagnation, unable to fully harness the opportunities of global interdependence. As part of Kingston’s authoritative volume, this chapter adds a sharp, necessary perspective on the limits of Japan’s international reach.