[Bob Miller]

Relations between North Korea and Japan are considered as tense and marked by hostility, but this, according to experts, is only an excuse for the Japanese leadership to build their own military capabilities.

It's not a secret that Japan, driven by para-fascist or militaristic moods, has long been working to strengthen the country's Self-Defense forces and the alliance with the United States to resolve a number of issues in the Asia-Pacific region.

It should be recalled that on March 29, 2016, Japan entered into force a new law on the expansion of the National Self-Defense Forces, which allows Japanese military to participate in hostilities for the first time after World War II to defend «friendly countries», even if Japan is not attacked.

Thus, having got the support of America, which has its own interests in the region, and, feeling confident in the power of its military machine, Japan constantly finds reasons to use it to achieve its goals. For example, for the solution of territorial issues with China (Senkaku archipelago), Korea (Liankur Islands) and Russia (the Kuril Islands).

Moreover, the Japanese leadership, headed by Prime Minister S. Abe, has been trying in every possible way to discredit the DPRK military potential, which allegedly threatens Japan’s defense and security, and regularly protests against the implementation of its nuclear missile activities.

However, the world community is seriously concerned about the accelerated military-political course in particular in Japan and the rapid increase in military spending aimed at improving the country's defense potential.

Experts consider the shift in Japanese military policy to be a threat to regional peace, and some are even afraid of the recurrence of atrocities and war crimes committed by the Japanese army during World War II, such as the «Nanking Massacre», «Shanfu» (comfort women) or the experiments of the «Unit 731».

Moreover, Washington is also currently concerned about the military development of Japan. The White House fears that further strengthening of the position of the Japanese armed forces may contribute to the country's more independent foreign policy course. But Japan is very important for the US to be dependent on America, although its independence is still far from reality.

Thus, it is obvious that Japan is actively seeking to revive and build up the country's Self-Defense Forces, its own military independence under the pretext of threats from a number of countries.

[Zionist Nationalist]

Japan know that its a nation of warriors and they should have a strong military
they did not bow down the same way the Germans did

[Clare Dauson]

The Japanese are as much fascists as the Germans were. Btw they live hard on their little piece of land so I think they will do anything to get some more land

[Atlantis]

There is no way Japan can become a military power on its own. The Japanese have discussed changing the "peace constitution" ever since I first moved to the country in the 1980s. It is true that the current PM is nationalistic even by Japanese standards; however, there is no way that militarism will come back.

I love Japan and the Japanese, but unfortunately the country has condemned itself to insignificance as a puppet of Washington. In any future conflict between the US and China, it'll get battered economically if not militarily.

Japan has failed to make true peace with its neighbors in the Far East, which prevents Japan from establishing a permanent organisation for economic cooperation similar to the EU in Europe, which is based on Franco-German reconciliation.

As China surges forward as the latest of the Asian tigers, Japan will even be eclipsed as an economic power. Sad, but that's what happens when you don't squarely face the nationalistic demons of the past.

[Michael Morgan]

I agree, the Japanese really want to get more territory and thus they realize that the 20th century is over and now it's impossible to gain new territory with the guns. Thus they strive to negotiate with Russia about the Kuril islands by any means. But it's totally weird. These islands will always be the territory of Russia.

[ThirdTerm]

Japan has raised defense spending by a tenth over the past seven years to counter military advances by Beijing and Pyongyang, including defenses against North Korean missiles which may carry nuclear warheads. By comparison, Chinese military spending is set to rise this year by 7.5% to about $177 billion from 2018, more than three times that of Japan. Overall, China's defence spending is more than four times larger than that of Japan but less than a half of America's military budget. In real terms, China’s spending is worth about 75% that of the US.



Japan can never intimidate Russia with its minute military might as its pacifist constitution does not allow the possession of offensive weapons such as ballistic missiles, bombers or nuclear weapons and its military expenditure is strictly limited to defensive purposes. However, there was a chance to get two islands back during the 1950s. It was the Soviets who kindly proposed to return two islets in exchange for a peace treaty, which Putin mentioned in a Russian interview some years ago. The declaration gave Japan the Habomai islet group and Shikotan while the Soviet Union claimed the remaining islands, but the United States did not allow the 1956 treaty. Putin and Abe agreed that the terms of the 1956 deal would be part of a bilateral peace treaty. Most Russians today don't remember the Soviet era well, which makes them think that a treaty signed during the darkest chapter of Russian history is no longer valid and can be forgotten.

The Soviet Union did not sign the Treaty of Peace with Japan in 1951. On October 19, 1956, Japan and the Soviet Union signed a Joint Declaration providing for the end of the state of war, and for restoration of diplomatic relations between USSR and Japan.[1][2] The two parties also agreed to continue negotiations for a peace treaty, including territorial issues. In addition, the Soviet Union pledged to support Japan for the UN membership and waive all World War II reparations claims. The joint declaration was accompanied by a trade protocol that granted reciprocal most-favored-nation treatment and provided for the development of trade. Japan derived few apparent gains from the normalization of diplomatic relations. The second half of the 1950s saw an increase in cultural exchanges.

The Joint Declaration did not settle the Kuril Islands territorial dispute between Japan and the Soviet Union, whose resolution was postponed until the conclusion of a permanent peace treaty. However, Article 9 of the Joint Declaration stated: "The U.S.S.R. and Japan have agreed to continue, after the establishment of normal diplomatic relations between them, negotiations for the conclusion of a peace treaty. Hereby, the U.S.S.R., in response to the desires of Japan and taking into consideration the interest of the Japanese state, agrees to hand over to Japan the Habomai and the Shikotan Islands, provided that the actual changing over to Japan of these islands will be carried out after the conclusion of a peace treaty".[1]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet%E2 ... on_of_1956

[Atlantis]

I agree, the Japanese really want to get more territory and thus they realize that the 20th century is over and now it's impossible to gain new territory with the guns. Thus they strive to negotiate with Russia about the Kuril islands by any means. But it's totally weird. These islands will always be the territory of Russia.

True! Japan's inability to come to terms with post-war reality has condemned it to the role of US lap dog. To play a role in international affairs, Japan would have give up its claims to the Kuril islands so as to mend relations with Russia and fully accept responsibility for war crimes so as to mend relations with its Asian neighbors.