Japan reviving militarism?

Yuba Nath Lamsal

With coming to power in the parliamentary election held in December 2012, the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has taken a number of tough steps that are likely to go a long way in the history of Japan. From global and regional perspective, some of the steps that the Abe government has taken since he came to power have become subject of debate both within Japan and in the international level. And these issues have stirred a lot of criticism and controversy. Yet there are still some in Japan and elsewhere who think that Prime Minister Abe has taken bold and necessary decision on security and military issues that would make Japan’s position and role more assertive both in the regional level as well as international arena.

Japan is a global economic power and any kinds of developments in Tokyo definitely create ripples in the international arena. Thus, entire world in general and its neighbors in particular has been watching more meticulously the decisions taken by Tokyo especially on economic, strategic and security related issues.

As promised during the election campaign, Prime Minister Abe has pursued the policy of creating more assertive Japan in dealing with the foreign powers. The new leadership in Tokyo felt it necessary to have more assertive role on regional and international issues to protect Japan’s own interests. To be more assertive and influential in the international arena, a country must have its economic strength backed by military power and the vice versa. At present Japan is an economic power but lack military strength to protect is economic interest abroad.

Prior to the World War II, Japan was both economic and military power. Its areas of influence had stretched far and wide in Asia and the Pacific. With its ambition to become extra continental power, Japan joined the World War and advanced towards both east and the west. But its aerial attack in Hawaii-based Pearl Harbor of the United States turned out to be fatal and suicidal. The United States, which had until then kept itself away from physically getting involved in the war, was forced to join the Allies and responded to Japan’s attack by dropping first atom bomb in Hiroshima of Japan killing tens of thousands people, which was followed by similar attack in Nagasaki. These two atom bombs totally changed war scenario and Japan soon surrendered to the United States.

With the end of War, Japan and the US signed a military pact that handed over the responsibility of Japan’s security to Washington. Japan then was denied to have any kind of military role outside Japanese territories. For any kind threat and security, Japan has to depend on Washington, for which Japan annually pays a huge amount to the United States. With no military strength, Japan often feels helpless in dealing with its powerful neighbors and other international powers. With memories of the War II slowing fading away in the mind of new generation of Japanese leadership, the ambition of remilitarizing Japan is growing in recent year. This was evident more strongly and prominently in the election campaign in December last year. Shinzo Abe was in the forefront among the politicians that seek to strengthen Japan from military point of view. Abe had publicly promised that once coming to power, he would try to revive the old glory of Japan and make it a global economic as well as military power. 

Since winning office, Abe has moved rapidly to keep his election promise of building a strong Japan” with a strong military. It is with this objective that Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) government has increased defence budget for the first time in a decade, which has sent jitters to its neighbors especially China with which Tokyo has a dispute over Senkaku/Diaoyu islets in the East China Sea. Both China and Japan claim ownership over the island. If tension escalates and war breaks out between China and Japan, Tokyo may stand nowhere with Beijing in terms of military power. Although there is a slim chance of such war as Beijing is pursuing with the policy of resolving the conflict peacefully based on historical facts, Japan is worried that it may not get the needed support from the United States in case hostility occurs between Tokyo and Beijing. This is one reason why Japan is now trying to build its own military capability and remilitarize the country.
But Japan’s militarization would not make Japan secure. Rather the tension would further increase and there will be additional tension with the neighbors. It would give rise to militarization and arm-build up in the entire Asia and the Pacific region. With Japan’s revival of militarism, the neighbors, particularly China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Thailand and even Australia would be more susceptible and would redouble their military capability, which would be counter-productive to Japan itself. In the north is another great power Russia with which Japan has already disputes over Kuril Islands. Thus, Japan’s decision to revive the pre-World War II era of military build-up will definitely send negative message to Russia as well as other countries in the region.
It is now being felt widely that Japan’s ambition for militarism is not its own concept but a deliberate plan of the Obama administration as part of its “pivot to Asia”. This is aimed at encircling China militarily, for which Washington has repeatedly asked Tokyo to play a greater strategic role. The United States has openly backed Japan in its face-off with China over the disputed islands. Prime Minister Abe is now exploiting this opportunity to expand Japanese military capability and end the pacifist era that Japan’s constitution has clearly stated. If Japan has to go ahead with military ambition as proposed by Prime Minister Abe, Japan has to amend its constitution. But the present LDP government is likely to face stiff opposition in parliament to change the constitution.
Prime Minister Abe’s government is trying to justify and convince the opposition as well as the Japanese voters calling his militarization move as purely self-defence that aims to build Japan’s comprehensive abilities to counter possible missile attacks. But it is not purely defensive in nature instead it includes air force and missile capabilities able to strike at enemy missile bases as far as China, Russia and even India. This was clearly hinted in Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera’s remarks that Tokyo could launch preemptive attacks if Japan felt possible threat from any external power.  This can be well understood that there is an external plan afoot to create war in Asia and the Pacific region so that external power can be the sole beneficiary. In the modern war, none can win but all lose. In case war breaks out in the Asia Pacific region, the entire countries including Japan, China, Russia and even India will be involved in war, which would help European powers and United States to further consolidate their presence and control in Asia.
Analysts both at home and abroad have now started feeling that the increased strategic interests will ultimately land Tokyo on clash and tension with the countries of the entire region. Now Japan has a soft power image. Japan’s image in the developing world is being regarded as the genuine development partner of the poor and least developed countries. In fact, Japan’s development assistance to the needy country is selfless and with no string attached. This soft power image is Japan’s great strength and clout in the international arena. Once Japan adopts its new militaristic policy, it will soon be accompanied by imperialistic ambition. As a result, Japan may lose its present image of soft power, which may not be in the long-term interest of Japan.