Abe picks revisionist Inada as defense minister in cabinet reshuffle

Gearing up for a confrontation with China

The way the press follows in lock-step the population believes he is doing the right thing. Japan is too good for that and deserves a leader, which Abe is not.

Didn't the Venezuelan elected President also decide to extend his stay in power?

Anyway, it's pretty clear the "Beautiful Japan" Abe has in mind, with all these revisionist cooks and power-jockeys lining up and champing at the bit to change the Constitution, which the majority of people are against. It doesn't sound like, with these appointments, Abe is interested in the slightest in "stability" aside from retaining power longer than he legally can; he is solely interested in his personal vendettas.

Wait until a reporter asks her if the Nanjing Massacre really happened and see how she responds. This is likely to be more relevant to the word "revisionist" in the headline than Constitutional matters, and of course more likely to cause China to go ballistic. But Abe knows that of course.

Wait until a reporter asks her if the Nanjing Massacre really happened

Chances are somewhere below zero, as she won't be exposed to the foreign press.

some analysts worry Abe will devote too much energy to trying to revise the constitution and be distracted from the economy

But war's great for the economy!

But some analysts worry Abe will devote too much energy to trying to revise the constitution and be distracted from the economy.

Isn't that the point?

Wait until a reporter asks her if the Nanjing Massacre really happened and see how she responds. This is likely to be more relevant to the word "revisionist" in the headline than Constitutional matters, and of course more likely to cause China to go ballistic. But Abe knows that of course.

There is no Japanese reporter in Japan that has the guts to ask her this.

It's pretty easy to win with a stacked deck!

The new Tokyo governess Koike was defence minister, but lasted only for 2 months. She had big argments with the top bureaucrats about personel changes. I wonder how Inada is going to do facing the bureaucrats.

"and he promised to speed up the economy’s escape from deflation and boost regional ties." That is just scary as from what i have seen the opposite always happens from what Abe says.

Tomomi Inada historic revisionist views of crimes and atrocities carried out by Japanese Army during and prior to WWII are well documented, including forming a committee to re-evaluating the judgments of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East by the then allied forces, questioning not only the ruling but the very principals of the judgements handed down. 'I have no intention to say the tribunal is invalid, but I do believe their understanding of the history, cited in the ruling, was so sloppy that we need to properly re-examine facts'

The timing of this toxic choice for such a sensitive portfolio, defense, is brought into full focus when a belligerent Beijing fragrantly flouts international law both in the East and South China Sea. Where upwards of $6 trillion in trade, a huge percentage of which passes to and fro from ports in Japan. President Xi Jinping will be jubilant at Tomomi Inada appointment, it the very political ammunition to accelerate full militarization , subsequent EEZ and ADIZ.

bullfighter: "The Japanese historians who have dug up the dirt on the comfort women system were revisionists."

No, because that is what happened, and others later revised history to make it less embarrassing for their right wing beliefs. Look at Abe -- he LITERALLY revised textbooks to keep sexual slavery (call it what it is, bullfighter!) out.

"In terms of history, a revisionist is simply someone who questions a widely accepted interpretation of history. They might be left. They might be right. Or, they might simply have dug up new material that shows previous claims to have been wrong."

Not when the people who knew it was wrong rewrote the texts based on their own beliefs. The original facts being backed up and the revisionist called for what he/she is is not 'revision'. It is a known fact, and admitted, the these clowns and their supporters are embarrassed by the loss of WWII and see the Constitution, forced on them, as well as any reference to atrocities committed by their ancestors (in many cases literally their relatives), a reminder of that. So, they try to bury it, revise it, and ultimately try and change history themselves.

"Many gaijin and gaijin journalists seem to think that calling someone a "revisionist" is a curse upon the person so labeled. Using the word that way shows they don't know what the word actually means."

Pretty clear it's YOU who doesn't know what the word means.

She is a revisionist because she is for revising the Constitution, and she visits Yasukuni because she does not believe Japan did anything wrong; probably buys into the BS idea that Japan was "rescuing Asia" and in the process fell victim to the Allies. Some of these nutbags, and even posters on here, honestly believe (that's to revisionists) that Japan was the VICTIM of Pearl Harbor, and that it was not their fault!!

Jesus another marching nutter to join the king nutter!

Inada an ultra-conservative politician? That would be self-contratictory. Ultra-conservatives believe that a woman's place is in the home taking care of children and cooking for the husband. Not being defence minister.

Isn't that the point?

Precisely. You don't need plums to wage war.

Tony AldermanAug. 03, 2016 - 06:41PM JST

Japan doesn't care about the views of foreigners on this website. It's their country, let them get on with it!

Wrong..... the problem is that Japan cares too much about what those idealized blue eyed blond foreigners (never met a Frenchman with blond hair or blue eyes outside Normandy or Alsace Lorraine) think of them.

They definitely don't care about this website and have zilch respect for their fellow Asians.

The result will be that Inada will never deny that Indonesian Dutch women were coerced into comfort women positions or that the 30% mortality rate of Western POWs under Japanese control was a tragedy bordering on a war crime, but she will never admit that there was such a thing as an Asian comfort women (they were all willing prostitutes) or any policy war crimes committed in China.

Hardly the basis for building trust with your direct neighbors, ergo sum, the worst person to hold this position.

But hey....suck it up and enjoy the ride... the Japanese political elites could mess up a p>ss up in a brewery.

She is a revisionist because she is for revising the Constitution, and she visits Yasukuni because she does not believe Japan did anything wrong; probably buys into the BS idea that Japan was "rescuing Asia" and in the process fell victim to the Allies. Some of these nutbags, and even posters on here, honestly believe (that's to revisionists) that Japan was the VICTIM of Pearl Harbor, and that it was not their fault!!

Absolutely. Heaven help us all.

Abe picks revisionist Inada as defense minister in cabinet reshuffle

No surprises there.

Yeah let's mend ties with our neighbors by picking HER to be the defense minister.

Might I if I may ,recommend a book entitled Imperial Cruise for a rather in-depth look at what brought about the results of all this political and military jockeying that is going on now. I found it to be a good read.

" She also regularly visits Yasukuni Shrine for war dead, which China and South Korea see as a symbol of Japan’s past militarism."

So, naturally, Abe would select her. The apple not falling far from the tree.

It hasn't fallen at all. Inada and Abe are branches of the same tree.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appointment of Tomomi Inada as Minister of Defense is untenable ...

Tomomi Inada politically poisonous views will inevitably harm, potentially unraveling ever more fractious relations with US further destabilize any diplomatic measures to smooth over or partially restore unresolved issues with South Korea that have been uncomfortably awkward and clumsy at best.

Tomomi Inada doesn't have any resemblance of guilt or a shred of moral responsibility to/of historic reconciliation.

LDP’s Inada reluctant to brand Class-A war criminals as criminals....

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/01/23/national/politics-diplomacy/ldps-inada-says-reluctant-brand-class-war-criminals-criminals/#.V6Nc5TVhiMk

Typical Japanese negationist syndrome. Ask the Inada woman about the involvement of the Japanese military in Okinawan civilian mass suicides. Bayonettes to push children, men and women to kill themselves, the "suicide cliffs". Abject. Assigned as Defense minister, and no military capacities, puppet. Japanese generals are flabbergasted, feel insulted.

G20 get together in China will be interesting. Notice the lack of feedback recently from Beijing since the tribunal ruling & the looming Sept meeting of the 20.

Anyone who voted LDP, now is the time to start regretting. Abe wants war with China and won't rest until his country goes down in a blaze of glory.

"For example, the American historian Bruce Cummings"

That historian's family name is spelled Cumings, not Cummings.

"Gearing up for a confrontation with China" far from. You are missing the actual intent and moving far from China is way way out there. This is about distancing Japan from the US and in order to do so it must break itself from the US. One way is the ongoing "force reduction of the US footprint inside Japan. Please visit any US base in Japan and one will see the writing on the wall as the footprint, personnel have shrunk considerable during the last few years. There are 90% Japanese workers to the 9 percent military and 1% US civilians/US contractors who are employed at the bases. A few years ago a simple parking lot one would see quite a few Y plate cars but today these are harder and harder to find in any parking lot. So Mr. Abe is on target as Japan puts more distance and will lean much closer to China in the long run.

@itsonlyrocknroll

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appointment of Tomomi Inada as Minister of Defense is untenable ... Tomomi Inada politically poisonous views will inevitably harm, potentially unraveling ever more fractious relations with US further destabilize any diplomatic measures to smooth over or partially restore unresolved issues with South Korea that have been uncomfortably awkward and clumsy at best. Tomomi Inada doesn't have any resemblance of guilt or a shred of moral responsibility to/of historic reconciliation.

Tell me, how do your abovesid concerns disqualify her role as "Minister of Defense"? What exactly do you mean by "poisonous view" and how would it affect diplomatic relationship with the US? What makes you think Japan even wants to restore relationship with annoying ROK?

@OssanAmerica If Japan follow the letter of the law, she should not have Collective Defense which is really Collective Offense with US abusing Japan, no different from US/UK ally in Iraq War which Blair now regret. I fear Inada could be sweet talked into recommending war or other less aggressive action against China as US is very good in laying out red carpet to seduce allies to do things her way. Inada might succumb to US charm pressure.

@ChaosWyvern Nothing sexist about that. Women are what they are. They are wired differently than men and I fear they are not the right gender for any job that involve war and peace. Facts don't lie. Their Perception of The Day After is different from men because as I said they have never smell the napalm, never see death and destruction. They Might like some cheap thrills like Hillary and this is where the danger lies. At some point, they are going to be Just As Bad as deranged people killing others because they Cannot separate the real world from the video games they play. They have become De sensitized about real world and live Only in the abstract world. That is what I fear woman like Inada may become, like bean counters with no human touch.

But does it say anything about her being a revisionist?

I get the impression that many gaijin and gaijin journalists think "revisionist" means that someone is right-wing and nationalistic. That is not the case. Among American historians many of those called "revisionists" have in fact been hard core lefties. For example, the American historian Bruce Cummings who at one point claimed that it was the US that started the Korean war is very often styled a "revisionist." So too for those American historians who have argued that the use of nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was unnecessary in terms of getting Japan to surrender. The Japanese historians who have dug up the dirt on the comfort women system were revisionists.

In terms of history, a revisionist is simply someone who questions a widely accepted interpretation of history. They might be left. They might be right. Or, they might simply have dug up new material that shows previous claims to have been wrong.

Many gaijin and gaijin journalists seem to think that calling someone a "revisionist" is a curse upon the person so labeled. Using the word that way shows they don't know what the word actually means. Read the Wikipedia articles on revisionism and historical revisionism if you don't want to take my word on this.

Revisionists and conservatives are two different groups. The article discusses that she is a conservative. But does it say anything about her being a revisionist?

Christopher GlenAug. 04, 2016 - 01:13AM JST She is a revisionist because she is for revising the Constitution, and she visits Yasukuni because she does not believe >Japan did anything wrong; probably Absolutely. Heaven help us all.

Some idiots think they can read minds. Let's see a link that supports those allegations about "what she thinks".

Hard to believe she is 57. Smart and poised - just what is needed in the post. A wise choice.

China has already come out labelling her a right wing revisionist. And as usual the western media grabs it an runs with it. What evidence is there that she is "rightwing"? Or a "revisionist"? She has visited Yasukuni in the past together with other politicians. Is that the reason? People visit it for various reasons, and as one who has seen it twice, it doesn't make anybody right wing. When China calls somebody "right wing" how far right does one have to be to earn that label coming from a militant dictatorship trying to take over Asia?

Japan is correct to stand up for its right to fight.

Japan doesn't care about the views of foreigners on this website. It's their country, let them get on with it!