Katsuya Okabe

Education:

2025 Ph.D., Laws, Keio University
2016 M.A., Laws, Keio University
2014 B.A., Laws, Keio University

Field of Study:

I have been studying international relations and diplomatic history since my undergraduate years. For my MA and Ph.D. theses, I examined Russo-Japanese relations from 1905 to 1914, a period known as the "era of exceptional friendship" between the two powers. My research particularly focused on negotiations relating to Chinese and Manchurian issues, and despite the prevalent understanding about common interests between Japan and Russia in this regard, it revealed that the two empires often failed to cooperate. Various factors contributed to these failures, such as differences in policy towards China and in perceptions of the "Open Door Policy." The common colonial interests were insufficient to overcome disharmony between Japan and Russia. However, the lack of cooperation did not prompt Japanese and Russian policymakers to abandon their "friendship," as they considered it one of the means of avoiding collisions between the two empires. These findings suggest that, prior to the First World War, the Russo-Japanese partnership did not deepen to the extent implied by the dominant narratives. After completing my Ph.D. thesis, I have shifted my research focus to Russo-Japanese relations during the First World War. My aim is to reconsider bilateral relations from the perspective that the "exceptional friendship" was rife with disagreements at the onset of the war.

Recent Publications (Selected):

Articles:

“The Russo-Japanese negotiations on the International Banking Consortium in 1910–1912,” Slavic Studies, No 72, 2025 (in Japanese)
“The Russian-Japanese relations and the Manchurian question during the Xinhai Revolution,” Roshiashi Kenkyu, No. 113, 2025 (in Japanese)
“The State Defense Council and the problem of defense against Japan:　the Japanese threat after the Russo-Japanese War from a military point of view,” No 70, 2023 (in Japanese)