Japan Prepares To Change It's Military Doctrine

Abe's Military Push May Please U.S. But Rattle Neighbors -- Wall Street Journal

Obama Visit Comes as Japan Re-Examines Constitutional Constraints on Military

TOKYO—Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is pushing to remove six-decade-old constraints on his country's military, a goal the Obama administration said Monday it supports—but one that could also unsettle the region.

When President Barack Obama arrives in Japan on Wednesday, he will find a country fearful of China's rise and worried about America's commitment to protecting its allies.

To bolster Japan's role in regional security, Mr. Abe wants to change the government's interpretation of the constitution to allow for "collective self-defense"—meaning the military could come to the defense of allies such as the U.S. even if the country itself wasn't attacked.

In theory, the changes would enable Japan to shoot down a North Korean ballistic missile heading toward the U.S. or fire at a Chinese warship scuffling with an Australian cruiser. They would also give it more flexibility in a conflict over Japanese-held islands in the East China Sea that are claimed by China.

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My Comment: When it comes to politics and international affairs in Asia .... I have always been amazed by the overwhelming negative reactions that Japan seems to always elicit from all of it's neighbors. I guess the reason why is simple .... for almost a decade the Japanese military ran amok in Asia causing great harm and damage that only ended when mushroom clouds were formed over Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

That is why talk about changing the status quo on how the Japanese military could conduct itself is rightfully raising concerns .... more so since Japan never really properly made an atonement for the crimes that their military committed in the 1930s and 1940s. But everything in Asia is changing right now .... and changing rapidly .... and Japan's military is just another one of those changes .... albeit a big one.