This article re-examines Japan’s entry into international society, focusing on leading Japanese diplomats. It has been believed that Meiji leaders’ interpretation of international society and diplomacy was characterized by power-political and zero-sum thinking, and they took a realistic approach in an imperialistic system. However, the present article demonstrates that Japanese diplomacy in and after the 1890s was basically guided by interest-oriented and non–zero-sum thinking which was closely tied to the international order. Leading Japanese diplomats, who learned from their experiences in diplomacy with Western countries, understood the significance of norms as well as the importance of military power, and pursued Japan’s national interests within the rules and norms of international society. These findings offer a new image of the principles of modern Japanese diplomacy, the mechanisms of Japanese imperial expansion, and the process of the spread of norms in international society.

中文翻译：

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现代日本的外交接受与实践：权力、利益与规范

本文重新审视日本进入国际社会，重点关注日本领先的外交官。人们一直认为，明治领导人对国际社会和外交的解读具有强权政治和零和思维的特点，他们在帝国主义体制下采取了现实主义的态度。然而，本文表明，1890 年代及之后的日本外交基本以利益为导向、非零和思维为导向，与国际秩序密切相关。日本领军外交官从与西方国家的外交经验中汲取经验，深知规范的意义和军事力量的重要性，在国际社会的规则和规范中追求日本的国家利益。