Constitutional Legacies and Strategic Dependence: The U.S. Role in Shaping Japan’s and Kosovo’s Security Policy
Session
Political Sciences
Description
Japan’s diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific reflects a continuous effort to balance its enduring security dependence on the United States with the growing challenges posed by China’s regional assertiveness. This balance is rooted in Japan’s postwar constitutional framework, particularly Article 9, which institutionalized pacifism and imposed legal restrictions on the use of military force. These provisions, established under strong American guidance during the occupation, continue to shape Japan’s regional security behavior, alliance management, and participation in collective defense. Similarly, the United States played a decisive role in drafting Kosovo’s 2008 Constitution, where Article 126 defines the structure of the Kosovo Security Force and embeds its defense policy within Western, U.S.-backed frameworks. By examining these two U.S.-influenced constitutional models, this study compares how Japan and Kosovo operate within distinct yet parallel geopolitical contexts-Japan in the Indo-Pacific and Kosovo in the Euro-Atlantic region. Both states exemplify how constitutional design, alliance commitments, and postwar reconstruction have produced enduring patterns of strategic dependence. Despite differences in scale and context, each case demonstrates how U.S. constitutional and security influence has constrained full autonomy while ensuring alignment with broader American and allied interests. Although both Japan and Kosovo have introduced legislative revisions aimed at strengthening their defense capacities and expanding their roles in regional security, they continue to face significant external threats and strategic vulnerabilities. The research concludes that these legacies persist in defining both nations’ diplomatic behavior, security engagement, and capacity to navigate an increasingly polarized international environment.
Keywords:
Security policy; Constitutions, Diplomacy, Indo-Pacific, Euro-Atlantic, Postwar reconstruction
Proceedings Editor
Edmond Hajrizi
ISBN
978-9951-982-41-2
Location
UBT Lipjan, Kosovo
Start Date
25-10-2025 9:00 AM
End Date
26-10-2025 6:00 PM
DOI
10.33107/ubt-ic.2025.333
Recommended Citation
Sopaj, Arbenita, "Constitutional Legacies and Strategic Dependence: The U.S. Role in Shaping Japan’s and Kosovo’s Security Policy" (2025). UBT International Conference. 3.
https://knowledgecenter.ubt-uni.net/conference/2025UBTIC/PS/3
Constitutional Legacies and Strategic Dependence: The U.S. Role in Shaping Japan’s and Kosovo’s Security Policy
UBT Lipjan, Kosovo
Japan’s diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific reflects a continuous effort to balance its enduring security dependence on the United States with the growing challenges posed by China’s regional assertiveness. This balance is rooted in Japan’s postwar constitutional framework, particularly Article 9, which institutionalized pacifism and imposed legal restrictions on the use of military force. These provisions, established under strong American guidance during the occupation, continue to shape Japan’s regional security behavior, alliance management, and participation in collective defense. Similarly, the United States played a decisive role in drafting Kosovo’s 2008 Constitution, where Article 126 defines the structure of the Kosovo Security Force and embeds its defense policy within Western, U.S.-backed frameworks. By examining these two U.S.-influenced constitutional models, this study compares how Japan and Kosovo operate within distinct yet parallel geopolitical contexts-Japan in the Indo-Pacific and Kosovo in the Euro-Atlantic region. Both states exemplify how constitutional design, alliance commitments, and postwar reconstruction have produced enduring patterns of strategic dependence. Despite differences in scale and context, each case demonstrates how U.S. constitutional and security influence has constrained full autonomy while ensuring alignment with broader American and allied interests. Although both Japan and Kosovo have introduced legislative revisions aimed at strengthening their defense capacities and expanding their roles in regional security, they continue to face significant external threats and strategic vulnerabilities. The research concludes that these legacies persist in defining both nations’ diplomatic behavior, security engagement, and capacity to navigate an increasingly polarized international environment.