Japan's growing military strength not a threat, says defense minister

This is not the Imperial Japanese army that led Japanese to defeat only a shell of Japanese imperialism,where Japan live at the mercy of the US ,not the American people

Japan's growing military strength not a threat

Is not a threat however it can be considered intimidation and regional escalation?

Sak,name one foreign country intimidated of a Japanese

I'm guessing the same phrases were used during the 1930s. We'll see what happens but recent history gives cause for concern.

Is not a threat however it can be considered intimidation and regional escalation?

Perhaps, but also a response to those things. Unfortunately it’s never ending cycle with other countries in the region doing exactly the same.

Naive people are usually also insecure,who believe their own delusions

Chinese ship attack American ship in international water Google Chinese navy American navy Ship

I'm guessing the same phrases were used during the 1930s. We'll see what happens but recent history gives cause for concern.

Unfortunately China isn't as backwards as the 1930s, but it is China's right to lock its doors and peek out the blinds.

Is not a threat however it can be considered intimidation and regional escalation?

Intimidating who? Escalating how? The questions show the indefensibility of the apologist position.

Intimidating who? Escalating how?

Buying US missiles to be pointed directly at China.

How? How can ? Or how could Russia's attack on Ukraine embolden China to attack Taiwan? China is not a timid country.

China has already declared Taiwan is China.

It's really an irony and a caricature that Japan should be singled out as a threat to other nations for its doubling of defense budget and having JSDF acquire enemy base first strike or pre-emptive attack capabilities.

Where is the China threat or the N Korean missile test threat gone?

Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada seems very busy justifying Japan's newly adopted posture on military capabilities.

How? How can ? Or how could Russia's attack on Ukraine embolden China to attack Taiwan? China is not a timid country.

Fair point. It seems with Russia’s Ukraine attack proving their military is not as strong as they want everyone to believe, China would be as likely to be eyeing up pieces of Russia as they would be eyeing an attack on Taiwan.

Stephen ChinToday 07:55 am JST

How? How can ? Or how could Russia's attack on Ukraine embolden China to attack Taiwan? China is not a timid country.

By showing the US isn't willing to join a real war. The autocracy brigade won't see that though, as the US is always willing to go to war.

China has already declared Taiwan is China.

They can declare whatever they want, my name says what the facts on the ground are.

Diplomacy works best when backed by military capabilities. Was the Shangri-La Dialogue held at Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore? That’s a good hotel.

Buying US missiles to be pointed directly at China.

China doesn't have its own missiles? They even claim to have hypersonic ones. China only gets to play the victim up to the bounds of reason.

Unfortunately Japan is situated in the world's most dangerous region - surrounded by threatening, aggressive and warlike totalitarian nations. Unlucky, but that's reality.

Of course Japan needs to spend more money to defend herself and her interests. Japan is not threatening anyone - just defending herself and her allies.

Japan has the right to defend itself.

Neighboring countries may complain but so far China is the main aggressor in this area.

China is ignoring economic zones and this is causing countries to invest.

When you're surrounded by authoritarian "peaceful" warlords, you have to be prepared.

Saying something and doing something is two different things,the American people could care less about Japan being attacked,the first law of nature is self preservation, American people will protect it interest,if it means Japan is thrown too the wolves to protect America,Japan survival is not America survival

Well, there's that pesky fact of history wherein Japanese forces attacked mainland Asia twice within a 40 span of time not that long ago resulting in the deaths of millions.

It's really an irony and a caricature that Japan should be singled out as a threat to other nations for its doubling of defense budget

Japan survival is not America survival

Given that it's the Japanese ultra-nationalist far right's avowed intention to use military force to regain "lost" territory, this man's claims are meaningless.

https://amara.org/videos/Sn9Zc0UeRQzF/en/1405913/3792355/

Japan can be obliterated as little as 5 minutes from Russia,China and North Korea

Japan without the US is a Eunach

"Japan's growing military strength not a threat..."

Except to the purse of the taxpayers and, never forget (as history tells), the "proud boys" of a military are always ready, standing back and standing by, should the ruling elite lose its control over a country. Japan has had a long history of military rule, a dangerous precedent that seems to have receded from the consciousness of the public and this ignorance of history in itself will erode the defenses of democracy in Japan.

Well, you could argue they said the same thing last time, too, but then again, last time all they did was go to Asian countries that they were ASKED to go to in order to teach them to bathe and read. They did nothing wrong, and nothing bad. There are also a great deal of Japanese who will flat-out say that the attack on Pearl Harbor was in defense of Japan, not an actual (sneak) attack at all.

In the 1930s Imperial Japan invaded the Republic of China. Today the ROC is Taiwan who welcomes Japan's military build up. The PRC did not even exist until 4 years after WWII ended. They sent 200,000 troops to Korea to kill US, SK, UN troops. And they use WWII anti-JPN sentiment as a political tool.

Korea was a Japanese colony 1910-1945, and Koreans fought for Imperial Japan against the allies. But for the last couple of decades South Korea has used WWII anti-JPN sentiment as a political tool. After going off the deep end under Pres Moon, finally SK has seen the light under Pres Yoon.

Former WWII enemies, US, UK, Austr, Canada, and nations that Japan invaded like Phillipines, Indonesia, Malaysia, etc all welcome Japan's remilitarization. Which has been forced upon it by the belligerent behavior of the autocratic nations, Russia, China, NKorea, et al.

Only the most blatant hardcore J-haters and CCP supporters would be harping on "ultra right wing", "Nippon Kaigi" and some absurd "intent to take back previous territories", when Japan has resisted US efforts to get them to remilitarize since 1950. The level of historical and factual ignorance is truly astounding. Japan has proven itself to be a reliable Ally of the US and democratic nations willing to stand up to the autocracies bent on getting their way through military force.

@Xavier Thanks for the cultural lesson. Half of my family is Japanese so I have a pretty good pulse on modern Japanese society which is certainly not militant. I'm also familiar enough to see traits such as group centeredness, hierarchy and willingness for personal sacrifice which potentially could be leveraged into another militant period.

The American military has been camped out in Japan since WW2 so national security hasn't been much of a concern.

Nothing wrong with Japan having an actual military.

This isn't the 1930s anymore. Worrying about 'Japanese militarism' is ridiculous.

Some posters are really blinded by their political views.

As a general rule of thumb, when a politician comes out and denies something, it invariably is; he is trying to spin the narrative in order to further his agenda and protect his interests and those of his cronies.

Further, this is the LDP we're talking about, the people who surreptitiously have been working with a Korean cult group, because again it has been in their interests to do so, over and beyond what is in the Japanese people's interests.

It's laughable how soon people forget and are willing to overlook such things in order to justify their own political leanings.

Japan, and every other nation, is today forced to watch the consequences of not being adequately prepared to fight off unprovoked aggression by a mad man dictator. There is no rational choice for Japan except to increase its military preparedness. On the other hand, it is a truism that unbridled strength can lead to unbridled aggression. One can only hope that history never repeats itself.

Iglenn,to little to late,

As an American,thier is not many things i fear,lots of times fear manifest itself by insecurity and ignorance and US power is something foreigners should be grabbing on to ,like a drowning , dragging every down

We do not seek rivalry or conflict

That is what they all say. Even Putin claims that their invasion is just a "special operation". And even if it is true, now, people change, and the next right winger might decide it is time to start using the military force available. Japan used "Bushido" as an excuse for the (pre) WW2 atrocities (and they managed to twist the virtues of Bushido into the complete opposite).

My dog, every day, so many stories about defence spending, military exercises, military talks, military alignments with other countries. Do the the Japanese government ever spend 'real' money on their people?

It’s certainly a threat to the economic stability of Japan. With the highest debt burden of any developed country, and an ever-shrinking pool of taxpayers, how exactly does Kishida plan to fund his new military?

Japan is just wasting taxpayer money to fund the American war machines. Japan can't and won't fight because it will get destroyed.

Correction:

The sentence, Where is the China threat or the N Korean missile test threat gone? in my post above (Today  08:02 am JST) should be:

Where is the China threat or the N Korean missile test threat gone that the Japanese government touts so much?

If Russia & China would stop attacking others or making threats to attack others, the world would be a much nicer place to live. Until then, everybody, unfortunately, has to plan and prepare for the worst.

China, Russia, North Korea, and South Korea are probably the only ones to sound the alarm about Japan becoming a military superpower. No complaints have been heard from colonized Taiwan or ASEAN.

And those countries have territorial disputes with Japan, and they are only countries that think it is okay to invade Japanese territory or abduct Japanese people.

Japan must protect its sovereignty and become militarily independent instead of relying solely on the United States.

In addition, although Japan has a military alliance only with the United States, it is one-sided, and Japan cannot legally support the United States militarily. This is hardly fair.

Justice without power is nothing but powerlessness, and what the Chinese, Russians and Koreans wield is nothing but violence without justice.

Some people say I’m going to kick your ass but never does anything. Others talk peace and freedom but in reality go into countries all over the world and create war and plot and fund riots and insurrection. Wolf in sheep’s clothing is the latter. Saber-rattling but soft hearted is the former.

Post war Japan is for peace and is not the Japan of old.

Others talk peace and freedom but in reality go into countries all over the world and create war and plot and fund riots and insurrection.

I agree something should be done about Russia and China. I also note you left out "help despotic regimes torture and kill their own people".

Japan is doing the right thing. Well done Japan. You have the right to defend your country and your people. After WW2, Japan has known what war means and the cost of it as well as the destruction it had caused and received. Japan has learned to be a civilized, peace-loving nation.

With the threats coming from Russia, China, and North Korea, Japan cannot just rely on the USA for defense, so that is your right. I just hope that Japan can make peace with the Korean people sincerely and build a new future regional true friend and ally. China's CCP only makes noise to belittle Japan but the main aim is to stir up its people for the nationalist movement it tries to create. Japanese people are not stupid to let their government try to become a superpower like it once was. Japanese people should be sensible to support their government to rebuild and to make defense strong and effective. China's ambition is clearly demonstrated by the deeds it has done around the world, especially in the Southeast Asia Sea where it has bullied and coerced Southeast Asian nations for a future war with Taiwan by cutting off possible support from the southern front.

Agreed, we just need AN Offensive Deterrence to KEEP the Peace!! As we're too busy depopulating and aging to pose a military risk to ANY country!

YrralToday 12:00 am JST

He who.liveth by the sword,shall die by the sword,maybe beating your swords into plowshares would be a more productive solution

Not when your adversary is pointing a missile at you.

What ol' Jack Burton always saysJune 4 10:43 pm JST

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government worries that Russia's attack on Ukraine could embolden China to attack neighboring Taiwan.

That's ridiculous.

Russia's attack on Ukraine has absolutely nothing to do with China's unification of Taiwan .

It absolutely does because the timing of China's war isn't set. If they see that Russia did a full faceplant, they will take another five years to make sure their military isn't in an equally bad state.

We do not seek rivalry or conflict," Yasukazu Hamada 

Actions speak louder than words.

Criticism , sanctioning , condemning your neighbors whilst seeking leadership role at the bidding of the USA has ensured rivalry and conflicts will arise for Japan in the near future.

Sorry, but words and sanctions are not military threats. As you said, actions speak louder than words and everyone can see the Chinese buildup.

Do they honestly think having more weapons will stop China from unification of Taiwan.

Weapons are all that the dictator cabal understand.

Japan should mind it's own business thats the best defense.

Until China decides that Ryukyu needs independence or that shipping shouldn't be allowed to pass through areas criminally occupied by China.

Japan isn't just defending itself tho is it !

The best defense is a good offense. Warcriming communist powers have long understood this.

There're a lot of people who think that war-renouncing Article 9 of the Japanese constitution was imposed on Japan by GHQ commanded by Gen. Douglas McArthur, as a sort of punishment. 

It's true that McArthur's GHQ made every effort to root anything related with pre-war militarism that was deemed the cause of the war. Calligraphy, kendo and judo were eliminated from school curriculum in this vein. Chinese characters were limited in number to the minimum.

It was under such circumstances that the then Teshigawara government surmised that the insertion of a war-renouncing provision like Article 9 would satisfy the occupation authorities.

 The war-weary nation accepted it enthusiastically, celebrating its promulgation with pomp and circumstances. The day of its promulgation is a big national holiday still today.