For the last seven decades, Japan has been a rather inward looking nation, not much engaged either with its neighbors or the world beyond in other than purely economic concerns: trade and outward foreign direct investment.

Beyond the purely economic dimensions, Japan cannot claim to have been an active Asian, let alone global citizen. Indeed, in many ways Japan has remained closed to its neighbors. The so-called Asian NIEs (newly industrialized economies) were able to achieve export-driven growth by penetrating, and profiting from, American and European markets, not that of their rich neighbor Japan.

This is one of the many differences between Germany and Japan. Germany has been the major market for its European neighbors, including the emerging East European economies. In contrast, Japan has not played the role of a regional economic locomotive.