Japan reinvents the role of its military

JAPAN has claimed that it is preparing for war to preserve peace. After receiving the findings of a constitutional advisory panel on May 15, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gave a televised address to the nation outlining his vision for expanding the Japan Self-Defense Forces’ global reach. To do so, Abe’s government will seek to reinterpret the constitution—particularly Article Nine, which forbids Japan from maintaining armed forces or engaging in war—to allow for “collective self-defense,” or the use force in defense of other nations.

Neither the panel’s report or Abe’s speech are unexpected. They are simply another step in the careful political and legislative path that Abe is following to take advantage of a rare moment of parliamentary strength to make changes that he and other advocates of military normalization have long desired. Because of Japan’s militaristic past, Abe’s mission is highly controversial, both at home and abroad. Abe’s Cabinet will have to decide how to proceed, and relevant legislation will have to be debated and approved by the Japanese Diet. While the entire process may not wrap up by the end of the year, it looks increasingly likely that Japan will move to allow collective self-defense to some degree in the near future.