Japan says U.S.-South Korea drills are vital

Uh-oh.... some on here were saying only yesterday that Onodera was putting pressure on the US presence in Japan, and now the same guy is saying the war games are vital for the region? Going to be a lot of quiet from the few naysayers in Okinawa over the US being in the region and in Japan. Suddenly, Japan is worUh-oh.... some on here were saying only yesterday that Onodera was putting pressure on the US presence in Japan, and now the same guy is saying the war games are vital for the region? Going to be a lot of quiet from the few naysayers in Okinawa over the US being in the region and in Japan. Suddenly, Japan is worried.

In any case, it has no right to tell the US what it can or can't do in joint with SK. And look what the nimrod says next,

"I hope to share this recognition between Japan and the U.S., or among Japan, U.S. and South Korea,"

Yeah... do you maybe think SK should play a part in any talks about what SK should be taking part in and that Japan is not? No wonder Japan is left out of everything. ried.

Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera thinks it's vital? So, does he want to Japan pay for the drills Trump doesn't want to spend from the USA taxpayers? Why voices like that from Japan to go opposite steps of what is less threatening, provokes and confrontation?

Japan has been thinking a lot about South Korea and US recently.

Maybe someone needs to tell LDP and Nippon Kaigi members that Korea isn't a Japanese colony anymore and WWII ended "many many" decades ago, so they can stop sticking their nose in SK matters

Apparently, the problem with previous American leaders over the last 75 years is that they didn't trust North Korea, China, and Russia to take care of their corner of the neighborhood. (Ironically, North Korea, China, and Russia also don't trust each other to take care of their corner of the neighborhood, as history has shown many times - but if Trump has some special "feeling" about this, who's to argue?)

Most Americans would be happy to see a US military withdraw from not just S. Korea, but Japan as well. However, the japanese - the govt as well as the people -- would have an en-mass nervious breakdown.

None of Japan's business.  NK is not a credible threat to Japan.  what they gonna do?  Invade?  Nuke Tokyo?

Oh no, is Japan worried they may be the next country to actually defend themselves?

"NK is not a credible threat to Japan. what they gonna do? Invade? Nuke Tokyo?"

Right now they could actually nuke Tokyo. But thanks to Trump, they won't, and won't be able to in short order. Wait, did I say thanks to Trump? I meant Dennis Rodman, hehe

When you know deep down that there's a cloud of injustices and wrongs that weren't accounted for, something we commonly refer to as guilt builds up in your collective psyche. This explains the obsession japan has towards Korea and Koreans. The drones in charge know that once there's true peace on the peninsula, their relevance will cease immediately.

I guess it is time for Japan to dump article 9 and to go nuclear, Japan has enough plutonium to make 6000 h bombs. Together with Japan's first rate rockets, Japan could build a first class nuclear triad. 6000 nukes. 3000 for China and 3000 for Korea.

Disagree, the war games are vital in times of war. I’m down with concessions to NK, but at the same time they have lied to the world twice before during “negotiations ”.

As soon as things are fishy the military drills should start again.

Yuko MaedaToday 06:19 pm JST

Oh no, is Japan worried they may be the next country to actually defend themselves?

Yes that is correct and all the baggage that comes with it. Trump has foolishly taken an unnecessary first step towards withdrawing US troops out of South Korea and Japan could follow. The very same low brow J-haters who make claims of "reviving Japanese militarism," are here bashing Japan for trying to avoid having to become just that, a large self sufficient military with offensive and nuclear capability that at present, are covered by the US-JPN Mutual Defense Treaty. Forgetting about Japan, South Korea is put into an even worse situation and all regional US Allies as well as the US military themselves are against anything that could lead to withdrawal. So there is absolutely nothing to criticize Japan for on this issue, unless you want to see Japan forced into becoming a nuclear power. The Japanese themselves clearly do not. Just another stupid comment out of Trump's mouth not connected to his brain. If he is seriously concerned about "costs" he can stop flying back and forth to Florida on US Taxpayer funded aircraft and stay in Washington DC.

“Most Americans would be happy to see a US military withdraw from not just S. Korea, but Japan as well. However, the japanese - the govt as well as the people -- would have an en-mass nervious breakdown.”

Exactly. Let the young Japanese infantry units catch Chinese or North Korean bullets. Not US Marines stationed in HA or Camp Pendleton.

Vital for what ?

Japan has unwittingly become the warmonger of the region. Cool it, Japan.

The US military would withdraw from S Korea soon someday. Japan better not count on US military any more. Japan should protect its own country anyway. If the US military let JSDF took more roles of present US military forces, the half of heavy US military bases/facilities in Okinawa would be no longer need and they would go home. America can save a lot of taxpayers money for Guam, S Korea, and Okinawa. Surely Trump is very happy about it and Okinawans seem also very happy about it.

I don't understand the comments here in JT, people thumb down comments when it's criticizing but even constructive to see the last ones are almost same meaning but less points down? I don't understand here in Japan Today there are kind of tendencies. Are those right wings checking when to win and when to withdraw the pointing down. Is that a smart way!?

What are you doing Japan? Do you want war?

Abe govt is still dreaming the same old dream as if the world stopped its clock at 3 years ago. Hello, it is Trump time. Kim is much smarter than Abe in recognizing Trump style.

Great dictators think alike. Neither Kim nor Trump care anything about peace. Both simply want to remain in their respective dictatorship positions. 

Japan seems to be caught in the middle (let us not forget the missile shot over Hokkaido not too long ago). However, Japan also needs to accept part of the blame for its current status. For decades, it has relied too heavily on the US both for military support and as a rich export market. You can only milk a cow so long.

These drills are not needed because they are too expensive and are useless. So says Trump after not conferring with Japan, South Korea, and US military generals and strategists.

smh

I can't take this "deal" seriously. So, all the regional powers should trust Kim and Trump? Sure. If this was a serious and transparent meeting, actually discussing openly about regional peace, this would have involved all the 6 traditional powers that are discussing this matter for years: China, South Korea, North Korea, Russia, Japan, USA. The sudden change in the modus operandi hides the true intentions of these two leaders. Good luck, if you trust Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump!

Honestly, I don't think the U.S. will let South Korea under Chinese influence. But at the moment, stopping the U.S.-South Korea drills is a good move to sell more American weapons to both Japan and South Korea. Trump is an excellent businessman. This is his actual job. As a politician...well, that is another story.

Japan and SK militaries can still have joint exercises, right? They'd have to stop arguing over old complaints long enough to get along.

I would love for all overseas US military bases to be closed/handed over to allies and more of an "exchange program" setup with rotations embedded around the world, controlled by the national govt in the location. Gotta keep the connections at all levels, but clearly the local govt needs to be primary. Learning to work with different cultures is an important skill.

For NK, Trump said "cancel", but everyone else should hear "delayed" for when NK doesn't follow through.

These drills are pointless and a waste of money. Save the ammos for the real war. Why waste energy, assets, money and time on something that doesn't amount to anything?

The joint drills with S. Korea and Japan are not going to stop. Dotard made that statement without speaking to the Joint Chiefs.

@theFu

Japan and SK militaries can still have joint exercises, right?

They don't have joint exercises. Korea and Japan aren't allies.

They'd have to stop arguing over old complaints long enough to get along.

The current real tensions stem from Japan's claims on the Liancourt Rocks. The comfort women issue isn't a showstopper, the Liancourt Rocks dispute is. So as long as Japan claims the Liancourt Rocks, Korea cannot cooperate with another country that claims Korea's territory.

Everybody's acting like these drills have never been cancelled before. We cancelled Team Spirit '94 when Kim il Sung died to lower tensions. You know how fast we can put a drill back on? Everybody needs to relax.

gogogoJune 13 10:58 pm JST

What are you doing Japan? Do you want war?

Did you bother to read the article?

They are important. Just like joint NATO exercises or US-JSDF exercises are important.

Even Abe can be right on occasion.

Sure, practice all you want (print more money as well). Just remove the invasion of North Korea as the objective.

Use the islands near North Hokkaido to stage the operations or just somewhere where Kim won't feel threatened.

Japan is not alone in it's position. It is shared by South Korea, all US allies in the region and even the U.S. Defense Department share this view. The only parties who gain from from it are North Korea and it;s backer China. The comments expose the true nature of the posters' presence here.

Why doesn't Onodera propose that the US-Korean exercises be held in, and paid for by, Japan? After all, as he claims the exercises are vital he should offer a solution, instead of moaning.

Sure, practice all you want (print more money as well). Just remove the invasion of North Korea as the objective.

That’s not the objective and wherever you heard that is making false claims for propaganda. The objective is to repel the invasion initiated by the DPRK and prevent them from being capable of continuing a military conflict.

The comments expose the true nature of the posters' presence here.

Or some of us were military stationed in Korea and know that 'cancelling' drills is about as permanent as your car being clean after you wash it.