A Conceptualisation of Japan’s Relations with the Middle East

The concept of complex interdependence is revisited and applied to Japan’s relations with the Middle East. The roles of security, international actors, and intercultural communication in complex interdependence is redefined, and a new multifaceted framework is used to analyze case studies of bilateral relations between Middle Eastern countries and Japan. This included numerous channels, different agendas, diversity of interests, nonmilitary security agenda, in addition to cultural relations. This framework for multifaceted interdependence extends the research agenda for the Middle East-Japan relations beyond the focus of oil and gas trade relations, to cover the greater significance and context of non-energy trade and investment, peculiar security concerns, and multilateral effects of the interregional interdependence.