Japan Moves to Permit Greater Use of Its Military- Altering its Pacifist constitution

Japan is altering its constitution, pacifist since 1945, to enable self defence and defending allied nations.

Many Japanese pacifists have been demonstrating against such a move.

www.nytimes.com...

TOKYO — In a dramatic change that could position Japan’s military to play a more active role in Asia, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced a reinterpretation of the country’s pacifist Constitution to allow Japanese armed forces to aid friendly nations under attack.

The decision by Mr. Abe’s cabinet changes the long-held reading of the Constitution that had strictly limited Japan’s forces to acting in the country’s defense. The new interpretation will allow Japan to use its large and technologically advanced military in ways that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago, such as coming to the aid of an American ship under fire or shooting down a ballistic missile aimed at the United States.

The announcement is likely to feed already-high tensions in Asia, where China is mounting an increasingly serious challenge to the regional dominance of the United States and its allies, including Japan, and making assertive claims to vast areas of two strategically important seas.

Although the region is not yet in an outright arms race, Richard J. Samuels, director of the Center for International Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said Japan’s move showed that it and other countries were having to think more seriously about their own security than ever before.

They take this stuff seriously. Saw a video last night (That I will not post here) of some guy dousing himself in gas and lighting himself up. -In an area that was next to impossible for anyone to help.
I think they've done their time as far as being pacifists. Let them play with their toys.
(everyone else does)

I say let them. They are a natural buffer to Chinese hegemony.

a reply to: canucks555

It is a wise move from Japan.

If only there could be global pacifism, maybe in another world!

The announcement is likely to feed already-high tensions in Asia, where China is mounting an increasingly serious challenge to the regional dominance of the United States and its allies, including Japan, and making assertive claims to vast areas of two strategically important seas.

And yet China for the first time is participating in RIMPAC exercises. news.yahoo.com...

HONOLULU (AP) — Weeks of naval maneuvers involving the militaries of nearly two dozen nations are beginning in Hawaii. For the first time, Chinese vessels are participating in the drills that the U.S. Pacific Fleet hosts every two years.

Love hate relationship?

Theyre protesting because Abe sold them out doing that .. nobody in japan wants to go fight and die in the westerners illegal/immoral wars ..

Fully support my countrymen that are protesting Abe's treasonous act of selling japan out to gaijin .. if Abe had a shred of honour left he'd repeal the amendment .. formally apologise to the japanese people and resign with immediate effect.

Let the west fight its own damn wars and leave japan out of it.

Glad to see Japan moving this direction. China needs a strong neighbor as they (China) try and expand their role in the neighborhood.

I think most Japanese believe they would eventually become a target of Chinese aggression.I'm glad their beginning to defend themselves.

And it should be noted that there was very little news coverage in Japan of the person's self-immolation. I saw it only on Yahoo (.com, not .co.jp) and CNN. My Japanese wife saw absolutely nothing about it on NHK news, which we watch every day at noon and in the evening. In the newspapers, there was a very small bit buried around page 6 or so a few days later, with no blaring headlines. The "benefits" of Abe's change were of course page 1 in huge headlines. The massive protests in Tokyo against the change weren't reported until LAST night, after things had been shoved through.

The thing is, defense is allowed even under the current interpretation of the Japanese constitution. About half of the test cases they discussed on the news are already allowed, although no one wanted to admit it.
I'm beginning to wonder if this is Abe setting his "fourth arrow" for economic recovery in his bow. Japanese industry might pick up a lot when war breaks out, much like the US economy does.

Abe has just been pissed off that his father isn't revered as a Japanese war hero Abe thinks he is.

It's long overdue.

originally posted by: Expat888
Theyre protesting because Abe sold them out doing that .. nobody in japan wants to go fight and die in the westerners illegal/immoral wars ..

Fully support my countrymen that are protesting Abe's treasonous act of selling japan out to gaijin .. if Abe had a shred of honour left he'd repeal the amendment .. formally apologise to the japanese people and resign with immediate effect.

Let the west fight its own damn wars and leave japan out of it.

Yes because it's America who is claiming Japanese territory, not China.

I am all for pacifism and can understand how many Japanese are incensed about altering their constitution in such a way, however, I think perhaps the world's stage has forced Japan's hand.

With the economic and military growth of China and situations between them having the potential for escalation, Japan has to look to it's allies and sometimes that means giving something in return.

Additionally, the global terrorist threat is something all nations have to consider and work cohesively together on.

It appears to me more of a ''we will help you if we really have to, but we are still against joining wars and sending our troops anywhere'' than full on subscription to warfare.

The world has evolved much since 1945 and Japan has to evolve too for it's own sake.

originally posted by: theabsolutetruth
I am all for pacifism and can understand how many Japanese are incensed about altering their constitution in such a way, however, I think perhaps the world's stage has forced Japan's hand.

With the economic and military growth of China and situations between them having the potential for escalation, Japan has to look to it's allies and sometimes that means giving something in return.

Additionally, the global terrorist threat is something all nations have to consider and work cohesively together on.

It appears to me more of a ''we will help you if we really have to, but we are still against joining wars and sending our troops anywhere'' than full on subscription to warfare.

The world has evolved much since 1945 and Japan has to evolve too for it's own sake.

Exactly. Pacifism sounds noble, but when someone is breaking down your door to steal your house it's time to wake up and defend yourself.

Good for them.
They have more than proved their commitment to democracy and peace in the past 70yrs.

I love Japan and its irradiated people.

With the threat from North Korea in that whole area they must be able to fight in a way that gives maximum protection for japan.
This would mean fighting with other countries support and supporting there forces.

a reply to: theabsolutetruth

The only real issues I see possibly coming to pass would be if Japan became overly aggressive again which I doubt would happen. When one considers their economic situation being tied into the global grid it's highly unlikely they would. However, I wouldn't leave out the possibility of egos and or nationalistic tempers flying over certain territorial claims.

Regional or global arms races would help economically and push technological advancements with it's follow on commercial private applications with the one possible historical caveat, as always so it seems...

Somebody would inevitably want to test out their new high tech military toys.

a reply to: SLAYER69
Except that there are plenty here in Abe's generation and Abe's party who look back on parts of the war with a certain fondness, claim that Japan was entirely the victim and didn't do the terrible things it's accused of, and hope for Japan's military greatness again.
There are many parallels between what is happening in Japan now and what happened prior to World War II with regards to government secrecy, censorship, and expanding control. And the effect of media control on the Japanese people is greater than in the US due to the group mentality. Add in the way the war is taught about in schools here, and the situation becomes more dangerous.
It obviously won't turn into a war immediately because of the intertwined global economy, but it does move Japan a few steps closer.

I would say Japan's militarization is propped up by the western warmongers, the same ones who are mashing the Middle East right up to Russia's border. Indeed, it it a plan by "America" global corporate powers to dominate all the territory surrounding China and Russia.
It is laid out plainly in PNAC's "Rebuilding Americas Defenses.", from a year before 9/11.
Southeast to East Asia is clearly spelled out as a key military theater of the 21st century.

www.informationclearinghouse.info...

R EPOSITION U.S. FORCES to respond to 21 st century strategic realities by shifting permanently-based forces to Southeast Europe and Southeast Asia, and by changing naval deployment patterns to reflect growing U.S. strategic concerns in East Asia.