Why has Japan emerged from the -lost decades- unscathed from the populist wave and a far more consequential actor in the geopolitics of the Indo-Pacific? In answering this question, Japan-s Quiet Leadership provides a sweeping look at Japan-s domestic economic and political evolution, its economic statecraft, and the array of geopolitical challenges that have triggered a gradual but substantial shift in the country-s security profile. This deep dive into Japan-s trajectory over the last three decades underscores Japan-s hidden strengths in its democratic resilience, social stability, and proactive diplomacy; while reckoning with the profound challenges the nation faces: depopulation, rising inequality, voter disengagement, and threats to Asia-s long peace. The book traces the profound currents of change coursing through the Japanese polity and its external environment; and the myriad ways in which Japan-s experience has become more relevant to countries coping with slow growth, adve
