Comments on Japan’s Assistance to Afghanistan

The size and forms of assistance to Afghanistan by Japan after the 9.11 terrorist attacks to the United States of America as well as its basic policy on the country were decided by the summer 2002, and have unchanged until now. The main reason for this is lack of attention of the higher authorities and mass media in Japan. Since last year summer, those attention has soared the second time. This, together with a new strategy of the U.S.A. opens a precious opportunity for Japan to change the policy towards Afghanistan and adjust its assistance to the grand situation of the country. The discussion paper raises seven points on Japan’s assistance to Afghanistan: attention by the higher authorities and mass media; volume; strategy; local coordination; capacity; Afghanistan’s ownership; and security. And it draw lessons from the past assistance of Japan and discusses on its possible future assistance based on the author’s experiences as director in charge of the Foreign Ministry of Japan and Deputy Chief of Mission in Kabul and his researches since summer 2004.