Published in March 2026

This book examines the survival strategy of Taiwan—a "small but strong country" that could potentially influence the power struggle between the United States and China. Informed by key lessons from past armed conflicts between Taiwan and China and military history, the coverage of this book extends from a small country's military strategy to resist a great power to Taiwan's national defense strategy that encompasses military technology and social factors (particularly population), and then to the country's "grand strategy" (national security policy) that comprehensively incorporates diplomatic and economic measures. Threats to Taiwan's survival come not only from China, but also potentially from the United States, an ally. China's objective may be the formation of a cooperation with Taiwan in maritime strategy, particularly in the South China Sea, as opposed to literal unification or annexation. Taiwan ss an "island state," can potentially exert its power to balance power between great powers. Even without overt action from Taiwan, China is wary of Taiwan's military power and political influence. For a small country, possessing power to threaten a large country is a double-edged sword. Taiwan should therefore continue to behave as a "small but strong country."

Published in March 2026

Latin America is perhaps the least-known region in Japan. Consequently, Latin America is generally a subject of low interest among the Japanese public. At the same time, the absolute number of university students who may study Latin America will be decreasing in Japan as the birthrate declines.In this context, as university faculty members, we wrote this book to encourage people to learn about Latin America. First and foremost, we designed the textbook so that gaining knowledge would spark the readers' interest and inspire a desire for further study. This textbook primarily targets university students and ambitious high school students, who will lead the next generation, and invites them to the Latin American world by focusing on social issues affecting people's daily lives. Therefore, in compiling this textbook, we prioritized providing inspiration for further, specialized study over pursuing a highly academic presentation.As an e-book, this textbook is designed to provide seamless access to online resources, including previous studies, websites, and videos. We invite everyone to download this free publication.

Published in March 2026

The development of Thailand’s modern judiciary began in the late nineteenth century, yet contemporary judicial institutions have been profoundly shaped by the wave of institutional reforms that accompanied the period of democratization in the 1990s. In recent years, however, Thailand has witnessed marked “democratic backsliding,” exemplified by the successful military coups of 2006 and 2014 and the subsequent restoration of military rule. Judicial decision-making has increasingly been influenced by political processes, and the nature and operation of criminal justice have themselves become matters of political contention.

Published in March 2026

This book presents the findings of an individual research project titled “New City Development in Egypt,” conducted at the Institute of Developing Economies (IDE-JETRO) during the 2023–2024 fiscal year.Since the late 1970s, Egypt has persistently pursued new city development in its desert areas, a trajectory most recently exemplified by the 2015 announcement of the New Administrative Capital (NAC). Despite the fact that many earlier projects have been widely regarded as failures due to low occupancy and inadequate services, successive administrations have continued to invest heavily in these urban ventures. Taking this paradox as its point of departure, the study reconsiders housing policy not merely as a matter of social welfare or urban planning, but as a form of state-making policy through which social order is constructed via population allocation and spatial reorganization.

Published in December 2025

In October 2024, the government of Indonesia changed hands, with Joko Widodo (Jokowi) completing his two-term, 10-year presidency and Prabowo Subianto assuming office as the new president. Coinciding with this change in regime, this volume examines Indonesia from three perspectives. First, we evaluate the Jokowi administration, investigating topics such as politics, the economy, civil society, diplomacy, and environmental initiatives. Second, we analyze the electoral campaigns, voting behavior, and characteristics of the elected members of parliament in both the legislative and presidential elections held in February 2024. Finally, we examine the characteristics of the new Prabowo administration. Based on this analysis, this book provides a broad range of perspectives necessary for analyzing current and future trends in Indonesia.

Published in December 2025

As human rights abuses caused by state and corporate activity increasingly attract global concern, “business and human rights” has gained significant attention. The greatest challenge lies in the “governance gap”—neither investing developed countries nor developing countries receiving investment are able to effectively control the adverse human rights impacts generated by cross‑border economic activities. This book traces how the “UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights,” created to address this gap and unanimously endorsed by the UN Human Rights Council in 2011, have evolved in practice. It examines global trends such as policy shifts, the convergence of human-rights and environmental issues, and progress toward treaty-making. It also investigates how the UNGPs are being implemented in the Global South which is gaining greater international influence—particularly in Southeast Asia. Research in “business and human rights” spans multiple disciplines, approaches, and the intersection of theory, policy, and practice. The book is intended for academics, policymakers, businesses, and engaged citizens.

Published in March 2025

In Sri Lanka, political decision-making power was monopolized by Mahinda Rajapaksa, who became president in 2005, and his family, leading to assessments that Sri Lankan democracy was on the brink of collapse. Although the Rajapaksa family temporarily lost power due to electoral defeat, explicit family rule persisted until forced resignations following anti-government protests in 2022.
This book focuses on this distinctive political structure and its development, offering a multifaceted analysis to deepen the understanding of Sri Lankan politics. It examines the processes through which the Rajapaksa family consolidated power, the political environment surrounding the regime, and the constitutional amendments enacted to strengthen their authority. The book further analyzes the role played by Sinhala nationalism in facilitating the family’s rise, the changing political consciousness of rural Sinhalese voters who significantly influenced election outcomes, the unique features of fiscal management under the Rajapaksa administration, and the detailed dynamics of Sri Lanka’s relationship with China during the Rajapaksa family’s rule.

Published in March 2025

This is an advanced textbook on contemporary Latin American politics mainly for third and fourth year university students and master’s students. This book focuses on more specialized discussion than the basic concepts and history of Latin American politics, as those are covered in other materials in Japanese. It specifically deals with 21st century political topics, primarily in the 2010s onward, and analyzes the new political challenges brought about by the shift in social and public attitudes as a result of the economic rise and fall of the commodity boom and the COVID-19 pandemic. This book is organized into eight themes: the state as a prerequisite of each country’s politics; the military, which is once again increasing its influence; the judiciary, which plays a crucial role in healthy democracies; and presidential-legislative relations, which affect the quality and stability of a democracy. Voting behavior, in which people express their opinions; electoral systems, through which people’s opinions are reflected to the composition of legislatures; political parties, which give people political alternatives; and the potential new role of protest movements in representative democracy are also discussed, providing perspectives to help understand contemporary Latin American politics from multiple angles.