Would you give Japan its military back?
 

Been recently thinking about the changing positions of power in Asia. China's on the rise, North Korea is a joke of a country but it still boasts a dangerous military, South Korea is modernizing pretty quickly too. Japans Defense Force is tiny at around 200,000 active troops but they probably have one of the most modern militaries in the world based on their military spending. Some people have said they fear Japan may become a militaristic country again....though anyone in Japan would tell you otherwise. n. Most people there are disgusted of the idea of being militaristic again. some guy took over the Self Defense headquarters and gave a speech on how he wanted Japan to be strong again, but he was met with angry booing people...so he committed seppuku

From all the summers I spent in Japan growing up, I think I got a fair idea of what the country is like. Correct me if i'm wrong.... Nationalism is looked upon with disgust by the general Japanese population from what some of my friends told me. Kind of how people view the KKK and NeoNazis in American and Europe.

Americas got around 40,000 troops in Japan as part of the security treaty. While the Japanese support the military alliance strongly they also want the US to reduce the military presence there. I mean Japan is a 'big boy' now, out of the ruins of the 1940s into an economic powerhouse. I think they can take care of themselves now.... not to mention its very costly to station that many people overseas. Also, I doubt Japan would ever consider doing anything to lose the USA's support with its military.

I guess what im trying to say is they wont try to take over Asia again and massacre millions.

The current world climate as far as Japan goes isn't so much that the US feels like Japan is going to flip as soon as US troops leave and Japan is given a standing army again. The US politically enjoys having locations in the Pacific for their own strategic purposes.

well. in germany 50 000 troops are still based. and it has been a long time since Hitler...so, Japan won't see growth of its military for a wile.

I think Japan should be more responsible for its own defense...not saying it should turn away US military support. IF Japan changed its constitution and raised a standing military, it would GREATLY bolster peacekeeping in Asia. I beleive that would be in the USAs best interest as well as Japan is one of Americas closest allies.

It would take some slack of the US military and allow the Japanese to pull their own weight in defense.

My point was that the US doesn't care to let Japan pull their own weight if it means they can put their bases where they want. I'm sure Japan could do just fine on their own. That doesn't mean the US military feels like they should give up prime real estate. It's in America's best interests to have these bases, and they know it, otherwise they'd turn them over.

i gotcha.

Allowing Japan a standing military doesnt mean the USA has to give up its bases and position in Japan. it would just be an addition of a strong ally.

Its the Japanese constitution that forbids a standing army and the right to declare war. The USA has no say in if they can have a army or not, thats in the hands of the Japanese. If they were to vote re-instatement of the Army I'm pretty sure the USA is still entitled to keep its bases on Japanese soil as part of the military alliance they are a part of.

Well considering the US essentially wrote Japan's constitution, and it's extremely inflexible, never having an amendment since it was adopted, I'm not too sure how well that would fly.

honestly I doubt that a majority of Japanese people would even want to have an active military to begin with...

kinda like asking:
Would you let America have slaves again?
when most Americans wouldn't want any themselves...

Thats a great analogy James, thats the vibe I get from Japanese peopele. theyve denounced war and seem fine with it....if only everyone on earth looked at it that way....

but one day I think the general Japanese populace will find China to threatening to ignore. If things ever get nasty with China, USA and Japan...im pretty sure yamato-damashi will re-emerge in defense of Japan.

The problem is if Japan re-militarizes it would only push China to increase militarization as well....if anything it would be Japan to re-militarize in RESPONSE to Chinas ever increasing power.

I don't think that China can be dealt with by force.
Military size and the like are semantics when the momentum of China can't be denied it's direction.

Economics are the last front, not bullets, or it's a lost cause.