Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Introduction & Chapter Summaries
- Chapter Summaries
- List of Contributors
- Abbreviations/ Names and Name Order
- 1 British Relations with Japan, 1852–2017: An Overview
- 2 Lord John Russell, 1792–1878 [lst Earl Russell] Foreign Secretary, 1852–53, 1859–69
- 3 Lord Clarendon, 1800–1870 [George William Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon] Foreign Secretary, 1853–58, 1865–66, 1868–70
- 4 Lord Granville, 1815–1891 [George Leveson Gower, 2nd Earl Granville] Foreign Secretary, 1870–74, 1880–85
- 5 Lord Derby, 1826–1893 [Lord Stanley & 15th Earl of Derby] Foreign Secretary as Lord Stanley, 1866–68; as Lord Derby 1874–78
- 6 Lord Salisbury, 1830–1903 [3rd Marquess of Salisbury] Foreign Secretary, 1878–80, 1885–86, 1887–92, 1895–1900. Prime Minister, 1885–86, 1886–92, 1895–1902
- 7 Lord Rosebery, 1847–1929 [5th Earl of Rosebery] Foreign Secretary, 1886, 1892–94 Prime Minister, 1894–95
- 8 Lord Kimberley, 1826–1902 [John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley] Foreign Secretary, 1894–95
- 9 Lord Lansdowne, 1845–1927 [Henry Charles Keith Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne] Foreign Secretary, 1900–05
- 10 Sir Francis Bertie, 1844–1919 Key official in framing the Anglo-Japanese Alliance
- 11 Sir Edward Grey, 1862–1933 [Viscount Grey of Falloden] Foreign Secretary, 1905–16
- 12 Arthur James Balfour, 1848–1930 [lst Earl of Balfour] Foreign Secretary, 1916–19 Prime Minister, 1902–05
- 13 Lord Curzon, 1859–1925 [George Nathaniel, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston] Foreign Secretary, 1919–24
- 14 James Ramsay MacDonald, 1866–1937 Foreign Secretary, 1924 Prime Minister, 1929–31
- 15 Austen Chamberlain, 1863–1937 Foreign Secretary, 1924–29 Neville Chamberlain, 1869–1940 Prime Minister, 1937–40
- 16 Sir John Simon, 1873–1954 [lst Viscount Simon] Foreign Secretary, 1931–35
- 17 Lord Lytton, 1876–1947 [Victor Alexander George Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 2nd Earl of Lytton], A key role in advancing Anglo-Japanese Relations in the 1930s
- 18 Sir Samuel Hoare, 1880–1959 [Samuel Gurney, 1st Viscount Templewood] Foreign Secretary, June-December 1935
- 19 Sir Anthony Eden, 1897–1977 [lst Earl of Avon] Foreign Secretary 1935–38, 1940–45, 1951–55
- 20 Lord Halifax, 1881–1959 [Edward Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax] Foreign Secretary, 1938–40
- 21 Lord Hankey, 1877–1963 and R.A. Butler, 1902–1982 and the ‘Appeasement of Japan, 1939–1941 Foreign Secretary (Butler), 1963–64
- 22 Ernest Bevin, 1881–1951 Foreign Secretary, 1945–51
- 23 Winston Churchill, 1874–1965 Prime Minister, 1940–45, 1951–55
- 24 Britain and Japan, 1950–1990: A British Perspective
- 25 Sir Alec Douglas-Home, 1903–1995 [14th Earl of Home] Foreign Secretary, 1960–63, 1970–74 Prime Minister, 1963–64
- 26 Edward Heath, 1916–2005 Prime Minister, 1970–74
- 27 Margaret Thatcher, 1925–2013 [Baroness Thatcher] Prime Minister, 1979–90
- 28 Sir Geoffrey Howe, 1926–2015 [Lord Howe of Aberavon] Foreign Secretary, 1983–89
- Bibliography
- Index
24 - Britain and Japan, 1950–1990: A British Perspective
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 30 April 2022
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Introduction & Chapter Summaries
- Chapter Summaries
- List of Contributors
- Abbreviations/ Names and Name Order
- 1 British Relations with Japan, 1852–2017: An Overview
- 2 Lord John Russell, 1792–1878 [lst Earl Russell] Foreign Secretary, 1852–53, 1859–69
- 3 Lord Clarendon, 1800–1870 [George William Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon] Foreign Secretary, 1853–58, 1865–66, 1868–70
- 4 Lord Granville, 1815–1891 [George Leveson Gower, 2nd Earl Granville] Foreign Secretary, 1870–74, 1880–85
- 5 Lord Derby, 1826–1893 [Lord Stanley & 15th Earl of Derby] Foreign Secretary as Lord Stanley, 1866–68; as Lord Derby 1874–78
- 6 Lord Salisbury, 1830–1903 [3rd Marquess of Salisbury] Foreign Secretary, 1878–80, 1885–86, 1887–92, 1895–1900. Prime Minister, 1885–86, 1886–92, 1895–1902
- 7 Lord Rosebery, 1847–1929 [5th Earl of Rosebery] Foreign Secretary, 1886, 1892–94 Prime Minister, 1894–95
- 8 Lord Kimberley, 1826–1902 [John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley] Foreign Secretary, 1894–95
- 9 Lord Lansdowne, 1845–1927 [Henry Charles Keith Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne] Foreign Secretary, 1900–05
- 10 Sir Francis Bertie, 1844–1919 Key official in framing the Anglo-Japanese Alliance
- 11 Sir Edward Grey, 1862–1933 [Viscount Grey of Falloden] Foreign Secretary, 1905–16
- 12 Arthur James Balfour, 1848–1930 [lst Earl of Balfour] Foreign Secretary, 1916–19 Prime Minister, 1902–05
- 13 Lord Curzon, 1859–1925 [George Nathaniel, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston] Foreign Secretary, 1919–24
- 14 James Ramsay MacDonald, 1866–1937 Foreign Secretary, 1924 Prime Minister, 1929–31
- 15 Austen Chamberlain, 1863–1937 Foreign Secretary, 1924–29 Neville Chamberlain, 1869–1940 Prime Minister, 1937–40
- 16 Sir John Simon, 1873–1954 [lst Viscount Simon] Foreign Secretary, 1931–35
- 17 Lord Lytton, 1876–1947 [Victor Alexander George Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 2nd Earl of Lytton], A key role in advancing Anglo-Japanese Relations in the 1930s
- 18 Sir Samuel Hoare, 1880–1959 [Samuel Gurney, 1st Viscount Templewood] Foreign Secretary, June-December 1935
- 19 Sir Anthony Eden, 1897–1977 [lst Earl of Avon] Foreign Secretary 1935–38, 1940–45, 1951–55
- 20 Lord Halifax, 1881–1959 [Edward Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax] Foreign Secretary, 1938–40
- 21 Lord Hankey, 1877–1963 and R.A. Butler, 1902–1982 and the ‘Appeasement of Japan, 1939–1941 Foreign Secretary (Butler), 1963–64
- 22 Ernest Bevin, 1881–1951 Foreign Secretary, 1945–51
- 23 Winston Churchill, 1874–1965 Prime Minister, 1940–45, 1951–55
- 24 Britain and Japan, 1950–1990: A British Perspective
- 25 Sir Alec Douglas-Home, 1903–1995 [14th Earl of Home] Foreign Secretary, 1960–63, 1970–74 Prime Minister, 1963–64
- 26 Edward Heath, 1916–2005 Prime Minister, 1970–74
- 27 Margaret Thatcher, 1925–2013 [Baroness Thatcher] Prime Minister, 1979–90
- 28 Sir Geoffrey Howe, 1926–2015 [Lord Howe of Aberavon] Foreign Secretary, 1983–89
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
OVERVIEW
Since the end of the Second World War policy towards Japan has rarely been a priority issue for the British government and has only occasionally been discussed in the cabinet.
Two main aims dominated British policy towards Japan in the forty years covered in this chapter. The first was to ensure that Japan did not again pose a threat to world peace and British interests. The second was to develop beneficial economic relations through trade and investment. This became the main priority from about 1965
During the Cold War deterring Japan from joining the communist bloc was always a dominant consideration. Wartime memories also ensured that Britain remained conscious of the threat from right-wing extremist nationalism.As trade issues dominated relations with Japan during these years ministers responsible for trade, industry and finance were often more involved in determining policy than foreign secretaries.
The day to day work on the formation of policy was largely delegated to officials, but ministers especially those who made official visits to Tokyo while they were in office ensured that policies reflected political pressures on ministers from MPs, businesses and trade unions as well as from public opinion reflected in the media.
Few foreign secretaries since Anthony Eden gave much attention to relations with Japan. In the forty years covered in this essay only R.A. Butler, Sir Alec Douglas Home (who visited Japan in 1963 and was due to go again in 1972 but his visit had to be cancelled) and Geoffrey Howe in the latter half of the 1980s took more than a passing interest in Japan. Other foreign secretaries who visited Japan were R.A. Butler who went there in 1964, Michael Stewart who followed in 1965 and went again in 1970, George Brown who made a truncated visit to Japan in January 1968, Anthony Crosland tagged a short visit to Tokyo onto a tour of China in 1976 (he had been to Japan previously in other capacities) and Lord Carrington who visited Japan in 1982.
The main purpose of these visits was to take part in the regular Anglo-Japanese consultations at foreign minister level, which began in 1963. The international topics discussed were wide-ranging, covering world affairs, UN issues and aid but the main focus tended to be on the Asian region.
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- British Foreign Secretaries and Japan 1850-1990Aspects of the Evolution of British Foreign Policy, pp. 232 - 258Publisher: Amsterdam University PressPrint publication year: 2018