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Japan is about to pass a bill that would allow its military to fight abroad

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Japan’s cabinet approves bills to loosen post-war military restrictions - The Washington Post
May 14

TOKYO — Japan’s prime minister declared Thursday that his country would “never become entangled in a war being fought by the United States” as his cabinet approved legislation to loosen restrictions on Japan’s self-defense forces.

Even as he vowed that the changes would make technically pacifist Japan more peaceful, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also insisted that the changes would strengthen the country’s military alliance with the United States.

“I want to make clear that Japan will never become entangled in a war being fought by the United States,” Abe said at a news conference after the cabinet approved revisions to 10 security-related laws.

“We’ve been tying to strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance, which is the center of our country’s security. The ties between Japan and the U.S. are much stronger than ever due to my recent visit to the U.S.,” Abe said, referring to new bilateral defense guidelines.

The revisions, which will be submitted Friday to the nation’s parliament, the Diet, would allow Japan’s self-defense forces to aid the United States if it came under attack. A strong debate is expected when deliberations begin later this month.

Under the American-written constitution imposed on the country after World War II, Japan has not been permitted to maintain a military and can act to defend itself only under a direct attack. The changes would give Japan a right of “collective self-defense” when it is placed in “apparent danger” as a result of an attack on the United States, Japan’s closest ally.

The second main change would allow Japan’s self-defense forces to be deployed overseas to support another army in combat, such as in Iraq or Afghanistan, although the government would still need the Diet’s approval every time before sending such forces abroad.

The cabinet began reinterpreting the constitution to allow the changes almost a year ago, but this week’s moves set the process in motion. The changes are highly controversial in Japan, where a majority of the population remains committed to a pacifist constitution. The revisions are considered a first step by Abe to try to amend the war-renouncing constitution if his ruling Liberal Democratic Party takes control of the upper chamber in elections next year.

Hundreds of people gathered outside the prime minister’s office Thursday to protest the changes, shouting, “Absolutely opposed to war bills” and “Don’t allow unilateral cabinet approval.”

One protester, Noriko Yoshino, a 58-year-old former teacher from Tokyo, said, “The government’s words sound like a deception because they call laws for war as ‘peace support’ measures,” according to the left-leaning Asahi newspaper.

Recent polls have found that about half of respondents either do not understand the legislative changes or oppose them.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke said the legislation was a domestic matter for Japan, “but we certainly welcome Japan’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the alliance and to play a more active role in regional and international security activities.”

The changes are also highly controversial in South Korea and China, where critics fear they are part of a broader attempt by Abe, accused of being a revisionist and insufficiently repentant for Japan’s wartime aggression, to return the country to a more militaristic footing.

“We hope that Japan can earnestly learn the lessons of history, uphold the path of peaceful development . . . and play a constructive role in this Asian region,” Hua Chunying, spokeswoman for China’s foreign ministry, told reporters in Beijing, according to Reuters.

In Seoul, South Korean foreign ministry spokesman Noh Kwang-il said Japan must make changes to its defense policy “transparently.”
 
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Japan’s cabinet approves bills to loosen post-war military restrictions - The Washington Post
May 14

TOKYO — Japan’s prime minister declared Thursday that his country would “never become entangled in a war being fought by the United States” as his cabinet approved legislation to loosen restrictions on Japan’s self-defense forces.

Even as he vowed that the changes would make technically pacifist Japan more peaceful, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also insisted that the changes would strengthen the country’s military alliance with the United States.

“I want to make clear that Japan will never become entangled in a war being fought by the United States,” Abe said at a news conference after the cabinet approved revisions to 10 security-related laws.

“We’ve been tying to strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance, which is the center of our country’s security. The ties between Japan and the U.S. are much stronger than ever due to my recent visit to the U.S.,” Abe said, referring to new bilateral defense guidelines.

The revisions, which will be submitted Friday to the nation’s parliament, the Diet, would allow Japan’s self-defense forces to aid the United States if it came under attack. A strong debate is expected when deliberations begin later this month.

Under the American-written constitution imposed on the country after World War II, Japan has not been permitted to maintain a military and can act to defend itself only under a direct attack. The changes would give Japan a right of “collective self-defense” when it is placed in “apparent danger” as a result of an attack on the United States, Japan’s closest ally.

The second main change would allow Japan’s self-defense forces to be deployed overseas to support another army in combat, such as in Iraq or Afghanistan, although the government would still need the Diet’s approval every time before sending such forces abroad.

The cabinet began reinterpreting the constitution to allow the changes almost a year ago, but this week’s moves set the process in motion. The changes are highly controversial in Japan, where a majority of the population remains committed to a pacifist constitution. The revisions are considered a first step by Abe to try to amend the war-renouncing constitution if his ruling Liberal Democratic Party takes control of the upper chamber in elections next year.

Hundreds of people gathered outside the prime minister’s office Thursday to protest the changes, shouting, “Absolutely opposed to war bills” and “Don’t allow unilateral cabinet approval.”

One protester, Noriko Yoshino, a 58-year-old former teacher from Tokyo, said, “The government’s words sound like a deception because they call laws for war as ‘peace support’ measures,” according to the left-leaning Asahi newspaper.

Recent polls have found that about half of respondents either do not understand the legislative changes or oppose them.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke said the legislation was a domestic matter for Japan, “but we certainly welcome Japan’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the alliance and to play a more active role in regional and international security activities.”

The changes are also highly controversial in South Korea and China, where critics fear they are part of a broader attempt by Abe, accused of being a revisionist and insufficiently repentant for Japan’s wartime aggression, to return the country to a more militaristic footing.

“We hope that Japan can earnestly learn the lessons of history, uphold the path of peaceful development . . . and play a constructive role in this Asian region,” Hua Chunying, spokeswoman for China’s foreign ministry, told reporters in Beijing, according to Reuters.

In Seoul, South Korean foreign ministry spokesman Noh Kwang-il said Japan must make changes to its defense policy “transparently.”



Excellently worded , Abe Sensei!!!
 
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Unleash the Imperial Guards Division....!



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@Genesis @cnleio @Pangu @Shotgunner51 ----- you guys ever heard of the Imperial Guards?

Yap, read about the divisions that were active during the Russo-Japanese War & WWII. Are they subordinated under the royal family for protection duties, or under JSDF command hierarchy?
 
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Yap, read about the divisions that were active during the Russo-Japanese War & WWII. Are they subordinated under the royal family for protection duties, or under JSDF command hierarchy?


They are subordinated under the Imperial Family for protective duties. They are actually under the personal command of the Emperor. Currently, they are a regiment "strong", but in times of war, the 3 Division may be resurrected. Usually, the way it works is that a regiment (or more) of the Imperial Guards is attached with the Army to spearhead any military attack.


They are selected based on their experience (many of whom are recruited from Japan Special Forces Group, or JMSDF Rikusentai), as well as their loyalty to the Emperor, in other words, they are ultranationalists.


8086372816_fba4f5ab38_b.jpg
 
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They are subordinated under the Imperial Family for protective duties. They are actually under the personal command of the Emperor. Currently, they are a regiment "strong", but in times of war, the 3 Division may be resurrected. Usually, the way it works is that a regiment (or more) of the Imperial Guards is attached with the Army to spearhead any military attack.


They are selected based on their experience (many of whom are recruited from Japan Special Forces Group, or JMSDF Rikusentai), as well as their loyalty to the Emperor, in other words, they are ultranationalists.


8086372816_fba4f5ab38_b.jpg

Impressive. I bet their appearance in battle is a force multiplier to the regular troops in its own right. Ultranationalist are berserkers.
 
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Impressive. I bet their appearance in battle is a force multiplier to the regular troops in its own right. Ultranationalist are berserkers.

It is not known publicly, but back in 2004, 2005 when Japan sent forces into Iraq, a detachment of Imperial Guards were also sent. I assume that the Division will be resurrected as Japan begins to send forces abroad. Ideally, it would be great if we could resurrect the 3 divisions.

Does the PLA have an honor guard division? I'm not so well versed with the organization and structure of the PLA.
 
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The leftists , of course, are against. But they have so little influence in the Parliament (in both upper house and lower house) that their opposition is of little to no consequence. Majority of the Japanese Parliament is in support of re-militarization and , the plan is by 2017, Japan will write a totally NEW Constitution, effectively completely ammending Article 9, and stripping the clause that prevents Japan to make war, as well as striking the clause that Japan is to be a pacifist state for all eternity. LOL.

Can you imagine? The Americans actually tried to impose upon Japan a constitution that would prevent Japan from making war for "all time" ? LOL!

We are seeing the rise of Japan, as we speak. So much developments happening so fast.

Finally Japan is reclaiming the status of a great power
 
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It is not known publicly, but back in 2004, 2005 when Japan sent forces into Iraq, a detachment of Imperial Guards were also sent. I assume that the Division will be resurrected as Japan begins to send forces abroad. Ideally, it would be great if we could resurrect the 3 divisions.

Does the PLA have an honor guard division? I'm not so well versed with the organization and structure of the PLA.

We have a non-combat ceremonial guard of honor contingent, but nothing along the lines of Japan's Imperial Guards division.
 
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