Electronic Journal of Central European Studies in Japan, No.4 (December 2018) 1 Opportunities and Challenges for V4 plus Japan Relations in the Post- Brexit EU 1 Boštjan Bertalanič (Josai University) Abstract This article traces the historical development of Visegrad 4 (V4) plus Japan relations through the various stages of EU reforms after the end of the Cold War. Furthermore, it evaluates the potential opportunities and prospects that await in the coming years of the post-Brexit era for the V4 plus Japan cooperation format. The basic proposition of the article is built on the notion that the EU dimension of the V4 identity represents one of the key determinants for the V4 plus Japan framework, including its scope, intensity, and direction of cooperation. Key words: Visegrad 4 (V4), Japan, European Union (EU) Introduction The first time I considered the relationship between the Visegrad Group and Japan was during my early college days in the 1990s. A visiting Japanese professor who knew that I was majoring in political science approached me with a question about the significance of the Visegrad Four (V4) initiative for Japan. At that time, Slovenia, my home country, was considering becoming the fifth member, and I was aware of the public discussion concerning the potential risks and benefits of joining another regional format soon after the breakup of Yugoslavia. Based on Slovenia’s decision to remain outside of the group and somehow understanding the reasons for that, I imagined that the V4 was part of the political transition related to the post-Cold War reordering of Europe and that when this ended, so would the initiative. As for the role of Japan and its relationship with the Visegrad Group, I was not able to say much. 1 This paper was presented at the 2018 EAJRN (Europe Japan Advanced Research Network) Conference titled “EU-Japan Future Partnership: Ready for the Big Bang”?, held on June 8-9, 2018, in Stockholm, Sweden.