Abstract: Japan has recently strengthened its strategic foucs on the Arctic and played an active role in the Arctic affairs, which is partly due to the increasing attention of the international community to issues related to the Arctic, and partly driven by Japans national strategy and maritime strategy. Japans perception of the strategic value of the Arctic is multidimensional, including geopolitics and security, resource and energy, trade route, environment and international influence. With the aim of ensuring its national interest, Japan attempts to take part in the interest sharing and rule making process in the Arctic, by raising its priority in national strategy, promoting policymaking mechanism, participating in international scientific cooperation, investing in energy and trade route exploration, and implementing the “Arctic diplomacy” in order to extend its political influence.

Key words: Japan, Arctic, maritime strategy, energy strategy, foreign policy