Japan’s leadership has given up its pseudo-pacifism and has started a massive military build-up. Instead of investing money in its ageing population, Japan has chosen a suicidal way, just like Imperial Japan during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Introduction
Japan’s Defence Budget and History
After World War II, Japan was forced by its Western occupiers to rewrite its constitution, and Japan’s occupation is still visible today. After two atomic attacks on Japan in August 1945 by the United States, Japan chose to enter into a pseudo phase of pacifism. However, besides its inability to continue to fight, the Japanese leadership maintained a hostile rhetoric against Russia throughout the Cold War. To overcome its desire to harm the Russian interests, the Japanese chose to give the strategically important seaport of Yokosuka to the American military, and still the US Seventh Fleet is stationed at Yokosuka, Japan. The fleet was initially located at Brisbane, Australia, but in 1949 it was moved to Japan. The main reason behind shifting the fleet is to keep an eye on the Russian Pacific Fleet stationed at the seaport of Vladivostok. It is noticeable that the Russian Fleet at Vladivostok was established in 1731, long before the allied deployment to the region.
It is interesting to note here that the post-World War II Japanese Constitution limited the offensive military capabilities of Japan and reduced it to a self-defence force. However, the former hawkish Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe amended the constitution in 2015 and introduced the clauses of ‘Collective Defence’ in a desperate attempt to deploy Japanese Self Defence Forces far too long from its own territory. By doing this, the Japanese wanted to do two things. One, they wanted the constitutional umbrella to deploy its forces at the Kuril Islands against Russia. Second, they wanted to give a message to the Chinese that they will militarily defend Taiwan against any Chinese military intervention.
What Japan’s Defence Budget Means for Russia?
Russia has made significant successes in the ongoing Special Military Operation in Ukraine. Even though the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries and their allies in the East, including Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and Australia, have provided enormous politico-military support to Ukraine, the Russian Armed Forces continue to dominate the battlefield. It reveals two things: one, the West could neither disrupt the cohesion of the Russian Armed Forces nor its weapons could deter Russia. Second, the mercenary Ukrainian soldiers and the Western military personnel in Ukraine are neither enough nor could match the Russian military prowess. These developments have created significant worries in the leaders and policymakers of the West.
Japan’s sins of the past, its military barbarism during World War II, and its war crimes against the Russian people are haunting its policymakers. Japan continues to claim the Kuril Islands, which are in fact the sovereign territory of the Russian Federation. We should all remember that Japan signed the San Francisco Treaty on September 8, 1951, and made peace with its former enemies. However, Japan has chosen to maintain a hostile relationship with Russia, China, and North Korea.
Why does Japan intend to contain Russia, China, and North Korea?
The Japanese flawed narrative on its massive military build-up revolves around ensuring the defence of the coastal nation and its long coastline. However, historically speaking, the Japanese military build-up has always resulted in Japan doing aggressive military action against its distantly located neighbouring countries. This is exactly what Japan did against Russia, China, and Korea during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
With this heavy investment in defence, Japan aims to contain Russia, China, and North Korea. However, Japan’s ambitious military aims are greatly hindered by its ageing population. The Japanese warmongering leadership believes that it could deploy drones in the air, land, sea, and underwater; however, who will control those drones, as there will be no fewer human beings in Japan willing to fight a new war? There is no doubt that Japan needs to invest in its ageing population instead of investing heavily in defence and aiming to occupy other nations and countries.
Conclusion
Japan is growing fearful of Russia’s strategic successes in the ongoing Special Military Operation in Ukraine and has provided enormous military support to the murderous Zelensky regime. There is a little doubt that Japan will continue its warmongering campaign against Russia by supporting every anti-Russia element on planet Earth. Its recent defence budget is a clear example of such evil efforts.
The Japanese leadership must realise that its rearmament is actually benefiting the US and the Western nations that are located thousands of kilometres away from Japan. Such powers won’t be able to help Japan in case of a military confrontation. More importantly, the recent statement made by the Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi about the possibility of a Japanese military intervention in Taiwan against any Chinese attack is actually the reflection of the amendment Japan made to its constitution back in 2015.
Simon Westwood is a Masters student at the Dublin City University (DCU), Ireland. He is also a Research Assistant at the DCU’s Department of History
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