Research on Japan’s Foreign Aid and Official Development Assistance Elena Iriyama (De Angelis) 5617A004-1

Official Development Assistance ODA: Official government aid aimed to promote the economic development and welfare of developing countries Bilateral Aid: Government  recipient country Multilateral Aid: Government  multilateral agencies ODA Bilateral Technical Cooperation Loan Aid Grants (Others) Multilateral

Background on Japan’s Foreign Aid Post-war reparations 1960s – rapid ODA progress, development of overseas infrastructure Creation of JICA and other admin. organizations 1970-80 – policy changes  expansion, new projects Becoming a “top donor” country (1989)

…since the 90s JICA reforms in 2003 and 2015 revisions 2003 – independent administrative institution 2008 – merges with Japan Bank of International Cooperation 2003 and 2015 revisions In 2016, Japan ranked fourth in contributions to ODA Japan’s ODA is only 0.22% of its GNI

Characteristics of Japan’s ODA Fragmented system Use of loans “wait-to-be-asked” attitude Asia-centered Emphasis on infrastructure and human resource development “Self-help” mentality

A Critical View: International Criticism and Skepticism More loans than grants (tied aid) Economic infrastructure development – self-serving Focus or priority for Asian countries Skepticism about Japan’s real intentions ODA as a diplomatic tool Economic interests

Changes in Japan’s ODA Administration – three aid programs become one, and JICA becomes more autonomous Goals – from economic takeoff to poverty reduction Attitude – more proactive role Policy – clearer directions

Possible Areas of Research The changes in Japan’s ODA Infrastructure: its importance in helping economic development and poverty reduction in receiving countries Aid philosophy and different mentalities for development strategies – Japan vs. the West (international comparison)

Tentative Question How does Japan’s ODA address the new challenges of the 21st century in its revisions in 2003 and 2015? MDGs and SDGs Poverty Reduction, Global Issues, Peace-building, Sustainability, Education

Research Methods Read the “White Papers” from MOFA Rely on books for history, but reports for current situation Annual Report on Japan’s ODA by JICA and the OECD Compare/analyze the statistics released from government, international organizations and NGOs Case study?

Bibliography Akiyama, Takamasa and Takehiko Nakao Japanese ODA: Adapting to the issues and challenges of the new aid environment. Tokyo: Foundation of Advanced Studies on International Development, 2005. Print. Japan’s Development Assistance, a Conversation with Mr.Hiroshi Kato. UNUChannel. (2016, June 22). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XGx6M3xbEs Kato, Hiroshi, Japan’s Development Assistance: Foreign Aid and the Post-2015 Agenda, Palgrave Macmillan, 2016. Print.

MOFA, Japan’s Official Development Assistance White Paper 2014 MOFA, Japan’s Official Development Assistance White Paper 2014. Tokyo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, 2014. http://www.mofa.go.jp/files/000118826.pdf  MOFA, White Paper on Development Cooperation 2015. Tokyo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, 2015. http://www.mofa.go.jp/files/000168443.pdf Furuoka, Fumitaka, International Comparison of Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) Policy. Kota Kinabalu, Universiti Malaysia Sabah Press, 24 Feb. 2009 https://mpra.ub.uni- muenchen.de/11899/1/MPRA_paper_11899.pdf  Potter, David M. (2012) Japan’s Official Development Assistance, in David M. Potter and Hyo-sook Kim (eds), Foreign Aid Competition in Northeast Asia. (Sterling, Va: Kumarian Press).http://office.nanzan-u.ac.jp/ncia/about- cia/item/pdf_12/kenkyu_02.pdf