Distant Asian Neighbours: Japan and South Asia.

This is an interesting book. It seeks to fill a literature gap on the relations between Japan and South Asia. Yet, by trying to do so, it ends up demonstrating that this gap exists because there hasn't been much to write about. The contributors to this volume include scholars from South Asia and Japan and they are all in agreement that South Asia has been peripheral to Japan's economic, political and strategic calculations. They all express the hope that with the end of the cold war and the growing liberalization of the economic environment in South Asia, Japan will pursue a more independent foreign policy and direct its investment toward this region. However, it is not clear from the various articles as to why it will be in the interest of Japan to have more intimate economic and political contacts with South Asia other than the fact that they both happen to be in Asia. Various historical factors have linked Japan closer to its immediate back yard in Southeast Asia, and to the United States and Europe. It appears that this pattern will continue because it has served Japan well.

South Asia must forge links with all critical regions and countries of the world, and Japan certainly is one of them. It is not necessarily a bad thing if the Americans and Europeans have more foreign investment in South Asia than Japan. If the South Asian countries seek more foreign investment to achieve the rates of economic growth achieved by what used to be called the "miracle economies" of Southeast Asia, they will have to create the environment which is more conducive for that investment. And, if in the process the investors from countries other than Japan were to take the lead, that in itself will not be a negative development.

For various reasons Japan has allowed its foreign policy to be dominated by economic concerns which have driven it to establish closer links with its immediate vicinity, and then with North America and Europe. If the economic situation deteriorates in the wake of the current economic crisis in Southeast Asia, the Japanese might be tempted to move westward toward South Asia. But investment abroad is a function of an overall attractive political and economic environment, which still leaves a lot to be desired in South Asia.

The contributors to this volume would like to see a closer economic and political relationship between Japan and South Asia although they fail to make a strong case for it. Despite this drawback, the book is still valuable for those interested in the history of bilateral relations between Japan and South Asian countries except Maldives and Bhutan, which are not covered in this volume. In addition, this book adds to the large stockpile of evidence that Japanese foreign policy since World War II has been characterized by a reluctance to get involved in political conflicts, particularly those which are detrimental to its economic interests. The conflict over Kashmir between India and Pakistan and the rampant communal conflicts in South Asia may have been among the factors which kept the Japanese at bay. Yet it is difficult to see how all the South Asian countries can have closer relations with Japan when they themselves are at odds with each other over various issues. As both India and Japan seek permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council, they might be involved in a competitive relationship in the near future. However, the hope of the authors of this book may not be unfounded. Closer relations between Japan and some South Asian countries might still develop over time as the compulsions of the cold war disappear, and if South Asian countries really try to become the "miracle" economies of the next century.

YOGESH GROVER Winona State University, Minnesota, U.S.A.