Implementation of Sanctions: Japan

This chapter aims to provide an overview of Japanese approaches to economic sanctions by addressing both their legal and political backgrounds and their transitions. Until the beginning of the twenty-first century, the Japanese government approached economic sanctions from the perspective of international cooperation. Japan has been reluctant to impose unilateral sanctions. However, a series of provocations from North Korea incrementally triggered domestic legislative reforms and created a political climate for Japan to instigate unilateral sanctions. Legally speaking, Japan implements the UN’s economic sanctions on a patchwork basis. The Japanese government resorts mostly to foreign exchange laws and regulations to give effect to UN sanctions. Reliance upon foreign exchange laws has become problematic, however, regarding counter-terrorism sanctions, which oblige States to regulate domestic (not only international) transactions as well. The chapter provides an overview of Japanese approaches to economic sanctions and discusses how international political pressures necessitated and justified greater changes in domestic law.