Isami Romero Associate Professor

ThemeJapan's "Food Diplomacy" in the Cold War: The Case of Sugar and Whaling

Belongs

Research Department/Department of Human Sciences/Division of Humanities, Social Sciences and Linguistic Sciences/Section of Humanities, Social Sciences and Linguistic
Field Political Science, Comparative Politics, Japanese Politics, International Relations, Japanese Diplomatic History, Latin American Studies
Keyword Cold War History, Inter-American Relations, Mexico, Cuba, Japanese Foreign Policy, Sugar, Whaling, Animal Policy

Introduction

Since 2000, research on Japanese foreign policy based on diplomatic archives has increased.
 This increase has been made possible by the "Access to Information Law" enacted in 2001, which made Japanese government documents accessible to the public, making it possible to learn how Japanese authorities decided their foreign policy. At the same time, it is now also possible to access archives in the United States and other parts of the world, which has made it possible to learn how other countries implemented their foreign policy toward Japan.
I have tried to contribute to this kind of research. Initially, my research focused on analyzing Japan's relations with Latin America, especially the Japanese foreign policy toward Cuba.
Currently, I am doing research on Japan's food diplomacy. The case studies are sugar and whaling in the 1940s and 1950s. In addition, together with undergraduate students, I have been analyzing Japan's animal policy.

List of current research topics

  • Research on Japan's "Sugar Diplomacy"
  • Research on Japan's "Whaling Diplomacy"
  • Research on Japan-Latin America Relations
  • Research on Mexico's Diplomacy toward Central America Region. during the Cold War
  • Research on animal policy
  • Translation of Japanese literature (Japanese to Spanish)
Affiliated academic society Japan Association of International Relations, The Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations, Japanese Association for American Studies, Association of Wildlife and Human Society, Japanese Association for Contemporarty Studies, Japan Association for Comparative Politics
Academic degree Ph.D. in Social and International Studies
Self introduction

I was born and raised in Mexico City and I came to Japan in 2001.
My research explores diplomatic history of Japan and Latin America during the Cold War.
My hobbies are reading, breeding tropical fishes, watching soccer, playing guitar, and bass.
I like British rock music.

Room addressGeneral Research Building 1
Mail address romero atmark obihiro.ac.jp