日本雖曾於二次戰後大量接受美國及NGO援助，但目前已成為全球最重要的援外大國之一;在1964年加入OEeD後ODA預算更隨著經濟力量上升而逐年增加，甚至在1991年還超越美國躍居世界第一。日本曾於1992年通過「政府開發援助大綱J'據此，日本進行援助時須顧及聯合國憲章基本原則(即尊重主權、平等與不干涉內政)與被動原則(亦即由被援助國主動提出要求)，其後在2003年針對ODA大綱進行修訂後，則更重視ODA'是否對國際社會和平與發展提供貢獻，並確保日本的安全與繁榮」。從某個角度來看，舊大綱基本表述是「人道立場J'新大綱則更著重「國民利益J(國家利益)，這也是日本首次明確表明對外提供援助要考慮國家利益，特別是方式上也將原有「請求主義J(被動原則)轉向更主動的「力口強政策協商」途徑，也是為了提升ODA的戰略利用價值。在本文中，我們便希望透過對於日本援外政策之回溯性整理，希望能進一步釐清其未來可能之發展趨勢。

Japan is in a unique position as the major industr臼1 country in Asia， and as such it has a duty to offer initiatives to the rest of the world. There will be a greater chance of building a more balanced world if Japan gives voice to a vision from its Asian vantage point. Even after ceding its much-vaunted status as the world's No.1 aid donor to the United States in 2001， Japan has managed to hold on to the less prestigious but yet comfortable No.2 position. As one of the largest aDA donors in the world， Japan participates in this global aid approach with considerable unease. Majority of Japarls development officials and economists think the World Bank approach imposes too much procedural uniformity including the promotion of nascent industries under international integration. With its own aDA budget on the decline， Japan is currently reviewing its aDA strategy. This pape叮r pr昀oposes an alteαrna sustaining Asian dynamism and trying to gain the regional leadeαr叫S曲hi句p. This must be pursued in a way that does not exclude economies outside East Asia. External economic policies including aDA， trade and investment policies should be redirected toward this goal， in addition to global common concerns such as poverty and environment. Under the framework， JapaiB existing aid portfolio can be reinterpreted， justified and expanded.