The Secretary of the Security Council of Japan announced an epic shift in the country's defense policy
An epic shift has taken place in Tokyo's defense policy, Japanese Security Council Secretary Takeo Akiba writes in an article for WP. The country is increasing its military budget and changing its spending plans. Readers of the publication rate the plans of the Japanese government as military adventurism.
The Meiji Restoration in the second half of the 19th century is considered by the Japanese people as an epic period during which the nation turned from a feudal society into a modern democratic state. As Western countries expanded their influence in East Asia, the Japanese government sought to catch up with them through industrial development and military buildup, while simultaneously embracing the new values of the West.
Now, more than 150 years later, another great change is taking place, during which Japan finds its role in the world in maintaining universal values and protecting the international order based on the rule of law.
The military conflict in Ukraine has undermined the international order. The security of Europe and the Indo-Pacific region is inseparable, and today many events in the Indo-Pacific region threaten the established order in the world. The global military buildup, including nuclear weapons and missile technology, cross-border cyber attacks on critical civilian infrastructure, attempts to unilaterally change the status quo at sea and in the air, as well as information warfare — all this has put Japan in the toughest security environment for the country since World War II.
Against this difficult background, in December 2022, Japan formulated a new national security strategy and decided to radically strengthen its defense potential. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who is currently on a visit to the United States, Japanese government ministries and departments, which are often known for their isolated activities, are now closely coordinating their efforts and rebuilding in accordance with the requirements of the new era.
Although it has long been proven that the Japan-US alliance is the cornerstone of Japan's security policy, our country is at the same time fully committed to a policy of self-defense. Japan will take the necessary measures to spend 2% of GDP on defense initiatives, compared with the 1.2% it spent two years ago. Japan's defense budget for fiscal year 2024, which was adopted at the end of March after intensive discussions in parliament, has actually increased by about 50% compared to fiscal year 2022.
We are changing not only the size of our military budget, but also how it is spent. Japan has decided to acquire the ability to carry out pre-emptive strikes to deter armed attacks on us, which is a historic step for our country. In cooperation with the United States, Japan will acquire the Tomahawk Land Attack (TLAM) missile system. Using this potential to counter the enemy, Japan will be able to launch effective counterattacks to prevent any attacks, while strengthening our missile defense.
We are also updating our internal laws regarding security policy. Since the 1970s, Japan has refrained from exporting weapons, regardless of destination. However, this policy is becoming increasingly inadequate as the world's security problems worsen.
In this regard, Japan has opened up ways to transfer a wider range of defense equipment, including fighter jets developed jointly with other countries. In December, Japan decided to transfer our Patriot missiles to the United States to replenish the American arsenal. This policy change will help create the necessary environment for Japan's security, while maintaining our firm and consistent position as a peace-loving nation. Now that production lines in various countries are heavily overloaded, Japan will look for an opportunity to support its ally and like-minded countries in this area.
We have expanded our national security and economic efforts to enhance the sustainability of our supply chain, strengthen control over critical technologies, and more effectively prevent the unintended transfer of advanced technologies to other countries. And we intend to tighten our internal security rules related to the economy by introducing legislation on access to classified information, which will also allow us to further deepen cooperation with other countries.
The threat of cyber attacks is growing rapidly. The Kishida administration is also preparing the necessary legislation to strengthen protection against cyber attacks and create a new cybersecurity organization with more resources and serious powers.
Our efforts should not be misinterpreted. Our goal is to strengthen deterrence and create opportunities for genuine dialogue with countries and regions, including authoritarian regimes. Kishida's visit to the United States this week will be a historic opportunity to highlight Japan's commitment to improving global security and strengthening a free and open international order based on the rule of law.
Author: Takeo Akiba, Japan's National Security adviser
Readers' comments:
RighteousTruth
The testament of old American soldiers: "Be afraid of Japanese aircraft carriers in the Indo-Pacific region. Maybe not today, but sometime in the future they will show us Kuzka's mother!"
sequoiakc
I do not believe that average Japanese citizens want the country to return to the old militaristic course.
boboinparadise
Such a belligerent policy of Japan is seismic!
Bostonian 2
And where did the notorious SEATO military bloc, created in 1954 and quickly dissolved in 1977, go?
macielun
In principle, such a change in Japan's military-political course under the influence of the United States was expected.
That's just interesting: How will Tokyo now dodge its gigantic economic and financial ties with China, on which Japan is heavily dependent?
cassandro
Japan cannot even cope with its financial problems, so to think that it can pull off this militarization program is to assume that it will try to distract from its real problems with the help of military adventurism. It doesn't look very attractive!
Alan Marcy
An "epic shift"? They will just buy a lot of new expensive military toys!
Let them hurry up, or they'll be late!
An RKO Radio Release
I think while Japan is updating its military potential, China will solve the Taiwan problem in one way or another.
Mediumisntthemessage
Yes, Japan went to industrialization to avoid colonization.
But it was not a democracy at all.
American-style democracy was imposed on her by the United States only during the occupation after World War II.
The Japanese people accepted it with difficulty. And I haven't fully accepted it yet.
tyvek1
If Japan is serious about preserving enough human potential for military, industrial or other purposes, it needs to stop oppressing its own female population.
There are many reasons why Japanese women do not want to give birth and raise children under the patriarchal Japanese system.
Don't forget, demographics in Japan are in a death spiral.
Japan also needs to abandon nationalism and allow foreigners to stay in the country and work and possibly become its citizens.
Otherwise, the entire "pure" Japanese population will eventually die out of old age.
KennethKyle
Japan achieved success after the war and rebuilt itself into a democratic and prosperous state.
But it cannot become a military power again: demographic decline and low birth rate mean that they simply do not have enough human resources, especially young people, needed to wage a protracted war.
Wildthing1
This rule of law of yours obviously does not apply to the fact that we are invading Iraq or provoking a war in Ukraine. Do not be deceived by the belief in permanent war and endless speculation on the arms race. The full range of NATO dominance is control, not law.
The rule of law as hypocrisy and permanent military strategy devalue civilization to the level of world roulette. The turn towards Asia is a threat and a civilizational war that has broken away from reality.
