Isabel Reynolds, Bloomberg: Japan’s Military
Fighting History.
Bombed-out and poverty-stricken after World War II, Japan disbanded its military and renounced war. Almost 70 years later, opposition to the use of force is part of the national consciousness. So passions are erupting — both inside and outside Japan — over Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s moves to reinterpret the country’s U.S.-drafted pacifist constitution and reclaim powers for its armed forces. He insists that they must be able to fight alongside allies to keep Japan safe. While he avoids pointing the finger directly at China, the country’s growing military prowess and territorial disputes with neighbors have inflamed tensions in the region. Abe’s campaign is stoking a long-simmering debate about whether Japan has come to terms with its wartime atrocities.
WNU Editor: I knew that one day Japan was going to rearm and be more assertive in their foreign policy. I just never thought that I would see that happen in my lifetime.
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