Author: Scarlett Cornelissen.

Japan has been an important actor in Africa's international relations over the past two decades, although its role tends to be understated in most analyses of Africa's ties with the large powers. This article reviews one facet of Japan's engagement with the continent, as enacted through the platform of the Group of 8. There have been significant overlaps between Japan's Africa diplomacy and its wider multilateral objectives and, since the end of the Cold War, the G8 has been an important forum where these aspects have converged. The article assesses past patterns and contemporary dynamics in the evolving relations between Japan and the continent.