Reviving Japan's Military

Ray · 01-15-2007, 14:57 PM

Quote:

Reviving Japan's Military
By Michael J. Green
Word Count: 698

With the elevation of Japan's Defense Agency to a full Defense Ministry last week, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has removed one more postwar pacifist taboo lying in the path of a resurgent Japan.

For decades the Self-Defense Forces were considered people who "live under a rock." They wore civilian clothes to work and then changed into uniform only on base. Their tanks were called "special vehicles" so as not to sound too warlike. They never deployed abroad and -- though they procured some of the most expensive systems in the world -- they never expected to fire a shot in ...
http://users1.wsj.com/lmda/do/checkL...in_europe_asia

So the Rising Sun once again rises in the East!

It had to happen.

The geostrategic equation will surely change.

China will surely not appreciate this change, though for the US it will be reduction of the burden for Japan's defence and will also be a boost in the arm in its global strategic outlook wherein, though unsaid, the containment of China is a primary concern.

This will also given impetus to the India - Taiwan - Japan issue. Could this be why Japan has backpedaled on the stand of US - India Nuclear issue under consideration.

One wonders what is the game plan!

Ray · 01-15-2007, 15:04 PM

Quote:

anuary 08, 2007
Japan's Defense Change Symbolic
By Richard Halloran

On Tuesday, the Japan Defense Agency becomes the Japan Ministry of Defense in a change that seems small on the surface, but is substantial in its underlying reality.

In Japanese, the new name requires changing only one ideograph, from "cho" to "sho." In Romanized Japanese, it is but one letter. And in American English, most people would not see much difference between "agency" and "ministry."

In a nation often driven by symbols, however, this shift reflects a newly assertive Japan that some Japanese say seeks to be a "normal" country. Moreover, it responds to a perceived threat from North Korea and reflects Japanese anxiety over potential threats from China.

The Diet, Japan's legislature, authorized the revision last month with surprising little opposition, given the pacifist stance of left-wing parties in the past. The new prime minister, Shinzo Abe, asserted to the press that the transition to the Ministry of Defense "demonstrates both domestically and internationally the maturity of Japanese democracy."

He contended the change showed "our confidence in civilian control. It also sends a signal that Japan is prepared to contribute even more to the international community, and that it will take on its role responsibly."

In practical politics, the director general of the Defense Agency becomes the minister of defense and a member of the Cabinet that presides over the executive branch of Tokyo's government. That Cabinet of a dozen ministers drawn from the Diet is roughly the equivalent of the U.S. presidency, a fact often overlooked outside of Japan.

Until now, the head of the defense agency was something of a political nonentity. Sometime in the past, the only thing one director general of the agency was able to accomplish was to have a military band parade in his hometown.

On becoming a full-fledged member of the Cabinet, the defense minister will have more say about his ministry's budget than in the past, when it was fashioned largely by bureaucrats from the prime minister's office and the Finance Ministry. For decades, however, Japan has limited its military spending to 1 percent of gross national product and that seems unlikely to change any time soon.

Internationally, in dealing with the U.S. secretary of defense or top defense officials of other nations, the Japanese defense minister will be treated now "as an equal governmental chief in both name and reality," says Tokyo's 2006 white paper on defense. In prestige-conscious Japan, this counts.

Japan's Self-Defense Forces, however, will keep their names, both in Japanese and in translation. The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force will not become the Japanese army and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force will not become the Japanese navy. At least not yet; some senior retired officers have been quietly lobbying for those names to be revised, too.

The birth of Japan's Defense Ministry is part of a plan to improve Japan's security. Prime Minister Abe says he wants to amend Article IX of the constitution, under which Japan has renounced force as an instrument of national power. It has been at the heart of Japanese pacifism for 60 years; a revision would constitutionally permit Japan to use military force to protect its interests.

The prime minister also has said Japan needs a national security council patterned on that in Washington and should form an agency to gather and analyze intelligence. Today, the Japanese prime minister has only a small research office to provide analyses of events and trends abroad.

The North Koreans and Chinese have criticized the elevation of the defense ministry. The (North) Korean Central News Agency, controlled by the government in Pyongyang, said that turning the defense agency into a ministry was intended to realize Japan's "militarist ambition for overseas expansion."

Similarly, an official Chinese newspaper, the People's Daily, contended that the shift reflected "a change in nature" for Japan's defense establishment as it "clears barriers for the Japanese armed forces on their way of going beyond self-defense."

What the North Koreans and Chinese fail to realize is that their belligerence toward Japan has accelerated a Japanese revision in their thinking on military power and caused Tokyo to strengthen its defense ties with the U.S. as the Americans realign their forces in Asia.

In the normal course of events, Japan would most likely have gradually shed its postwar pacifism in favor of a more assertive posture. The North Koreans and Chinese, however, have brought that day forward, which would not seem to be in their own best interests.
Richard Halloran, a free lance writer in Honolulu, was a military correspondent for The New York Times for ten years. He can be reached at oranhall@hawaii.rr.com
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/art..._symbolic.html

Very interesting!

The world order changes!

-{SpoonmaN}- · 01-15-2007, 21:03 PM

I'm very happy to see Japan taking a leading role, not just economically but also strategically in Asia. For Australia, having another friendly Major power near by can only help. Furthermore, it's an ally we can reasonably expect to help us in Stabilization and Peacekeeping missions in the area. While we have plenty of other allies (Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, increasingly Indonesia) we can't entirely count on them to provide a whole of direct Military assistance, either because they don't do external deployments very much (Indonesia) or because they're rather busy at home (Indonesia, and now Thailand). However a resurgent Japan is a nation with the potential to have a very strong Military that could and potentially would be able to help us.

xrough · 01-16-2007, 02:05 AM

Though we experienced the cruelty of the Japanese and destroyed a large part of our country in WW2, Japan nowadays is a good partner and helpful in its neighbor..

xrough · 01-16-2007, 02:07 AM

I hope they will turn back the past..

01-16-2007, 04:08 AM

when will japan change so tht it can sell weapons... i want IN to buy second line of SSK from japan - oyashio class

indian_surfer · 01-16-2007, 04:28 AM

A strong Japan means a strategically weaker China which means a strategically stronger INDIA!
A strong JAPAN IS IN OUR FAVOR.

-{SpoonmaN}- · 01-16-2007, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xrough

I hope they will turn back the past..

Considering that I've never even broached the subject with a single Japanese person out of all those I have met, I'd say many have not only turned their backs on the subject, but completely forgotten about it, which is bad.
Japan should take responsibility for the actions of the Imperial Forces and the Military Junta that was running them during the War, and not just to China and Korea (this would be a slap in the face to the other nations who suffered just as much but haven't taken to riding Japan about it ever since) but to the Philipines, Thailand, Burma, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, PNG, the Solomons and Taiwan. They can leave Australia out, even though Australian civilians did die in Japanese air raids and coastal attacks, the massive majority of our losses to them were Soldiers, and given that our troops did kill an awful lot of Japanese prisoners and local civilians ("collateral") during the fighting in Melanesia and Indonesia, I don't think we deserve an apology any more than we should give Germany an apology for supplying Bomber Squadrons that helped to carry out terrorist attacks to level their cities.

Anyway, Japan is OK now, like the racist migration and social policies do really need to stop, we learnt our lesson 30 years ago, some of our neighbours need to as well, but overall I have no beef with Japan becoming a major power, indeed I'm all for it.

**Officer of Engineers** · 01-16-2007, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by indian_surfer

A strong Japan means a strategically weaker China which means a strategically stronger INDIA!
A strong JAPAN IS IN OUR FAVOR.

Not easy as that. If there is one thing to unite two American allies (Taiwan and South Korea) against a 3rd (Japan), a stronger Japan would exactly be that cause.

Taiwan continues to refuse Japanese help for any Mainland War scenario. And South Korea would just love to turn their military attention towards Japan.

-{SpoonmaN}- · 01-16-2007, 21:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Officer of Engineers

Not easy as that. If there is one thing to unite two American allies (Taiwan and South Korea) against a 3rd (Japan), a stronger Japan would exactly be that cause.

Taiwan continues to refuse Japanese help for any Mainland War scenario. And South Korea would just love to turn their military attention towards Japan.

Of course that makes perfect sense. If the People's Republic invades Taiwan, then Taiwan is going to need all the help they can get. And there will be none forthcoming from us. As for a ROK/ROC alliance, wouldn't the SKs be a little anxious about antagonizing China?

**Officer of Engineers** · 01-16-2007, 21:57 PM

They all hate the Japanese more than they fear China.

Tronic · 01-16-2007, 22:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by -{SpoonmaN}-

They can leave Australia out, even though Australian civilians did die in Japanese air raids and coastal attacks, the massive majority of our losses to them were Soldiers, and given that our troops did kill an awful lot of Japanese prisoners and local civilians ("collateral") during the fighting in Melanesia and Indonesia, I don't think we deserve an apology any more than we should give Germany an apology for supplying Bomber Squadrons that helped to carry out terrorist attacks to level their cities.

Ditto for India. It was a world war, and no hard feelings against the Japanese, although what they did to captured Indian soldiers was darn cruel, the Americans and the Brits suffered the same fate.... IMO, almost every nation in World War 2 has a reason to apologize...

xrough · 01-17-2007, 00:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tronic

almost every nation in World War 2 has a reason to apologize...

Even those who are conquered and destroyed?

Ray · 01-17-2007, 00:44 AM

Those conquered and destroyed are the first one who are forced to apologise! The reasons for the same are also told to them.

Justice of the Victor!

That is life. Can't be helped or changed!

-{SpoonmaN}- · 01-17-2007, 23:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray

Those conquered and destroyed are the first one who are forced to apologise! The reasons for the same are also told to them.

Justice of the Victor!

That is life. Can't be helped or changed!

Nope, it can't. Like I said, I regard the bombing of Dresden, the looting, killings and rapes committed by the Red Army in Germany, the massacre of Japanese POWs in Borneo by our troops, the abandonment of the Polish Resistance by the USSR to all be major warcrimes committed by Allied powers. The firebombings of Tokyo could be on the list, although I do appreciate some level of necessity to those attacks, unlike Dresden and other raids that were carried out way past the time at which they were necessary or made any difference.
I remember when I saw MacNamara being interviewed about his role as a damage assessor for the USAF in the War, he pointed out that if he were on the losing side, he probably would have been put on trial for calculating that more bombs were needed to comprehensively destroy this many homes etc.

01-15-2007, 21:03 PM	#3 (permalink)
-{SpoonmaN}- Death, the Destroyer of Worlds... *Senior Contributor* Join Date: 09-08-04 Location: The badlands of West London. Posts: 1,455 Country:	I'm very happy to see Japan taking a leading role, not just economically but also strategically in Asia. For Australia, having another friendly Major power near by can only help. Furthermore, it's an ally we can reasonably expect to help us in Stabilization and Peacekeeping missions in the area. While we have plenty of other allies (Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, increasingly Indonesia) we can't entirely count on them to provide a whole of direct Military assistance, either because they don't do external deployments very much (Indonesia) or because they're rather busy at home (Indonesia, and now Thailand). However a resurgent Japan is a nation with the potential to have a very strong Military that could and potentially would be able to help us. __________________ "I have this to say to the people of Australia: Kick me, I'm different."

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01-16-2007, 02:05 AM	#4 (permalink)
xrough Contributor Join Date: 01-08-07 Location: Manila Posts: 746 Country:	Though we experienced the cruelty of the Japanese and destroyed a large part of our country in WW2, Japan nowadays is a good partner and helpful in its neighbor..

01-16-2007, 02:07 AM	#5 (permalink)
xrough Contributor Join Date: 01-08-07 Location: Manila Posts: 746 Country:	I hope they will turn back the past..

01-16-2007, 04:08 AM	#6 (permalink)
joey2 Guest Posts: n/a	when will japan change so tht it can sell weapons... i want IN to buy second line of SSK from japan - oyashio class

01-16-2007, 04:28 AM	#7 (permalink)
indian_surfer Regular Join Date: 01-16-07 Location: Patna, Bihar, India Posts: 35 Country:	A strong Japan means a strategically weaker China which means a strategically stronger INDIA! A strong JAPAN IS IN OUR FAVOR.

01-16-2007, 21:57 PM	#11 (permalink)
Officer of Engineers *Military Professional* Moderator Scotch taster Join Date: 08-06-03 Posts: 15,915 Country:	They all hate the Japanese more than they fear China.

01-17-2007, 00:44 AM	#14 (permalink)
Ray Postmaster General *Military Professional* Join Date: 08-20-03 Posts: 26,144 Country:	Those conquered and destroyed are the first one who are forced to apologise! The reasons for the same are also told to them. Justice of the Victor! That is life. Can't be helped or changed!

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