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Yoshikazu Sakamoto

さかもと よしかず

Sakamoto Yoshikazu

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1927-09-26 （Los Angeles, United States）
Died
2014-10-02 （Tokyo, Japan） age 87
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Shanghai (early childhood) → Kamakura (childhood onward) → Tokyo (majority of life)

Career

Occupations
Political scientist, University professor, Public intellectual
Active Years
1951-2014
Affiliations
University of Tokyo, Meiji Gakuin University, International Christian University (ICU)
Influenced By
Masao Maruyama, Hans Morgenthau
Influenced
Koichi Kato, Kazuichi Fujiwara, Susumu Takahashi, Kenichi Nakamura, Hitoshi Onishi

Education

University of Tokyo
Faculty of Law / Law / Political Studies
Period: 1948-1951
Year of Graduation: 1951
Country: Japan
Attended seminar of Masao Maruyama
University of Chicago (study abroad)
International relations studies
Period: 1955
Country: United States
Studied under Hans Morgenthau

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

International Politics in the Nuclear Age

1967 International relations / Academic

An academic analysis of interstate relations and security structures in the nuclear age.

nuclear weaponssecurityinternational order

Peace: Its Reality and Perception

1976 Peace studies / Academic

Discusses possibilities and limits of pacifism and its relation to pragmatic security policy.

pacifismsecurityethics vs. realpolitik

The Politics of Disarmament

1982 Disarmament / International relations

Analyzes interactions between disarmament policy and international politics, with Cold War case studies.

disarmamentCold Warinternational institutions

International Politics in the Global Era

1990 International relations / Academic

Considers how globalization affects international order and the role of the state.

globalizationstatecivil society

The Age of Relativization

1997 Essays / Political thought

A collection of essays examining post-Cold War values and foreign policy from a relativizing perspective.

value relativismdiplomatic thought

Man and State: Memoirs of a Political Student

2011 Memoir

A two-volume memoir recounting his academic career and the evolution of postwar political thought.

autobiographypostwar thought

Bibliography

  • International Politics in the Nuclear Age
  • Peace: Its Reality and Perception
  • The Politics of Disarmament
  • International Politics in the Global Era
  • Japan in the Global Era: Constitution and "International Contribution"
  • The Age of Relativization
  • Man and State: Memoirs of a Political Student (Vols. 1–2)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
scholarly and essayisticaccessible yet theoretical prose
Recurring Motifs
dialogue between pacifism and realismUN-centered internationalismrelationship between state and civil society

Health

  • Heart failure
    Died of heart failure in 2014

Legacy

One of postwar Japan's leading scholars of international politics, known for academically exploring the possibilities of pacifism while remaining a prominent public intellectual. He mentored many students and held a distinctive position in debates on diplomacy and security.

Academic Societies

  • Japan Political Science Association

Archives

  • University of Tokyo archives / related collections

Quotes

  • For example, if at the Olympic opening ceremony delegations walked in while simultaneously raising black armbands to protest the invasion of Afghanistan, and many delegations did so in succession, it would be broadcast nationwide and have a dramatic effect.
    Source: Writings / essays (as cited in biographical sources) (1982)

Trivia

  • Born in Los Angeles and spent early childhood in Shanghai before settling in Japan.
  • Attended Masao Maruyama's seminar and later studied under Hans Morgenthau.
  • Specialized in international relations and peace studies and was active as a public intellectual.