Japan–Africa Relations by T. Lumumba-Kasongo is a scholarly treatise on the relatively little studied topic of economic and political interactions between Japan and Africa. The book’s declared focus is on Japan’s policy of economic cooperation with Africa, but the analytical approach is comprehensive, combining the theory of international relations and political economy to show how Japan–Africa relations evolved within the dynamic context of international power relations and global markets in the postwar world. The discussion is thorough, covering not only the connections between Japan’s domestic political and economic situation and its international policy stance, but also the role it plays in Africa’s changing development contexts, especially under globally forced structural adjustment. We are reminded, for example, that Japan was the only industrialized country to participate in the Bandung Conference of 1955, which gave rise to the Non-Aligned Movement. The result is a book with twelve solidly written chapters, each of which may be read as an independent paper.

According to the author, the relationship between Japan and Africa is not a “natural” one based on geographical proximity or historical links, like those of Africa with Western Europe, nor does it fit well into the stereotyped West European paradigms of neocolonial control and top-down partnership. Japan–Africa relations, though relatively new, are more complex and dynamic. Part of this complexity springs from the ambiguity characterizing Japan’s policy of cooperation, which includes a humanitarian component backed by Japan’s “peace” constitution along with an economic determination to promote Japanese business interests. These relations came to acquire a more dynamic nature in the late 1980s with the emergence of Japan as an economic power and a major aid donor, raising the expectation of African states for increased economic cooperation and allowing Japan to undertake a “soft power” initiative. Lumumba-Kasongo points out the special political significance of Japan’s Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), a Japanese–African summit begun in 1993 and taking place every five years with the goal of solidifying Japan–Africa cooperation. This conference not only encourages Africans’ initiatives for their own development but also promotes Asia–Africa relations and South–South cooperation. The utility of this approach has been vindicated by the subsequent establishment of similar conferences by China, India, and Korea.

In spite of the author’s obvious affinity for Japan, or perhaps because of it, he faults some aspects of Japan’s policy toward Africa. One criticism relates to the aforementioned ambiguity, or apparent lack of clarity and consistency, in the policy intent of the Japanese government. What Japan might insist is a pragmatic approach could be regarded as policy by default or without principles. A related point concerns Japan’s insistence on self-help by African countries and equal partnership as the basis of its Official Development Assistance policy (ODA). This policy was muted while Japan joined other major donors pushing for structural adjustment practices that deprived the African countries of any room for their own initiatives, causing the author to question the “seriousness” of Japan’s ODA intent.

Yet for the author the most disappointing deficiency in Japan–Africa relations is Japanese ignorance of Africa, African people, and their culture, including the lack of understanding of the extent to which Africa’s predicament originated in its colonial past. The corresponding lack of knowledge of Africans about Japan, Japanese people, and their culture is also touched on, though somewhat in passing. In his conclusion the author alludes to the potential role of education in altering this mutual ignorance, which should be taken as appropriate advice to those concerned with Japan–Africa relations. Although the book is not easy to read because of the author’s somewhat repetitive and wordy style, Japan–Africa Relations should certainly prove useful to those exploring alternative future paths for Africa and Japan.