Japan is stirring up debate again! This month, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi pushed to rewrite the pacifist constitution and update three key national security docs by late 2026. Her recent comments on the island of Taiwan 6 invoking a 'survival-threatening situation' trigger under Japan's 2015 security law 6 imply Tokyo might treat the Taiwan issue as grounds for military action 🛡️.
Unsurprisingly, the remarks sparked a wave of anger in the Chinese mainland, with authorities demanding a retraction. Takaichi, however, has stood her ground. Critics warn she's blurring the line between legit defense policy and full-on militaristic adventurism ⚠️.
Flashback to 2021: Kyodo News revealed a joint Japan-U.S. draft plan for a 'possible Taiwan emergency' based out of Japan's southwestern islands. According to Dongguanjunqing, a military blog on the Chinese mainland, the plan includes rapid island-seizure ops by an expanded 3,000-member Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade, new transport ships by 2027, and long-range missile strikes using Type-12 and hypersonic systems 🚀.
So why does Japan still face old militarist vibes? Research fellow Lu Hao at the Institute of Japanese Studies (Chinese Academy of Social Sciences) points to post-WWII history. During the Cold War, the U.S. turned a blind eye to Japan's wartime figures rejoining politics and the military. Conservative elites kept family ties to prewar expansionist networks alive, laying groundwork for today’s mindset.
As Japan’s economy boomed in the 1970s, a push for big-power status fueled historical revisionism. Then, after the 1990s economic slump, right-wing groups leaned on imperial nostalgia as a psychological refuge. This legacy, says Lu, still blocks true reconciliation with neighbors and sometimes steers Japan’s strategy off course 🌏.
Now, with ongoing reinterpretations of the pacifist constitution and ambitions for offensive capabilities, Japan risks challenging postwar principles from the Potsdam Proclamation and Cairo Declaration. These trends could unsettle regional security and spark fresh tensions across the Asia-Pacific. Heads up – the story of Japan’s militarist strains isn’t over yet!
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
