Japanese Foreign Policy in the 21. century

Foreign Policy plays an important role in setting of national interests and influences the position of the country in international relations. For a global power in the 21.century, as Japan, foreign policy setting means an important tool or building its position on international political scene. There are many factors incluencing directly creating of the foreing policy, this paper concentrates on teritorrial disputes with neighbor states of Japan - China, Russia, South Korea,that cause tensions and threaten the stability in the entire asia-pacific region. In case of china-japanese relations it is about dispute over Senkaku/ Diaoyu islands, with Russia is involved in a dispute over the Northern territories/ Southern Kurily and relations with South Korea are influenced by the conflict over Takeshima/ Tokdo. Causes of these disputes have roots in history and are connected closely to the mutual experience of the countries, speficic cultural values of Japan and also to the US influence on the japanese development during the previous century. Based on these factors the development of teritorrial disputes in relations to the foreign policy in the 21. century is described.