Japonia jako "middle power"

Japan, which until 1945 was a colonial power, marked its position in the international arena as an economic power in the post-war period. The end of the Cold War led to the beginning of a discussion in this country about its place in the modern world. While the government in Tokyo started aiming at the status of a superpower, symbolized by a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, there were also voices among politicians and the intelligentsia that Japan should follow the path of a "middle power". The purpose of this article is to analyze to what extent Japan can be called a middle power not only in terms of its economic and military potential, but also the awareness of the elites and society as well as behavior on the international arena.