Free Republic

Japan on Saturday activated its first marine unit since World War Two trained to counter invaders occupying Japanese islands along the edge of the East China Sea that Tokyo fears are vulnerable to attack by China. In a ceremony held at a military base near Sasebo on the southwest island of Kyushu, about 1,500 members of the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade (ARDB) wearing camouflage lined up outside amid cold, windy weather. "Given the increasingly difficult defense and security situation surrounding Japan, defense of our islands has become a critical mandate," Tomohiro Yamamoto, vice defense minister, said in a speech....

Earlier this month, Japan's Ministry of Defense rolled out a nearly 20-minute-long cartoon as part of a public relations offensive to explain the country's military to the public. Although it might seem odd, it makes sense when you consider the fact that Japanese military is in a unique position in the world: the country isn't actually allowed to even have a military. What Japan has instead is the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF). While possessing all the trappings of a military, including a powerful air force and a respectable navy, the JSDF is constitutionally barred from operating on foreign soil, and...

YOKOHAMA (Reuters) - Japan's Maritime Self Defense Force on Wednesday took delivery of the biggest Japanese warship since World War Two, the Izumo, a helicopter carrier as big as the Imperial Navy aircraft carriers that battled the United States in the Pacific. The Izumo with a crew of 470 sailors is a highly visible example of how Japan is expanding the capability of its military to operate overseas and enters service as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seeks lawmaker approval to loosen the restraints of Japan's pacifist post-war constitution. The 248 meter (813 feet) long Izumo resembles U.S. Marine Corp amphibious...

...Under its nationalistic prime minister, Shinzo Abe, Japan has embarked on the most sweeping overhaul of its defense posture in recent memory. Not only has Mr. Abe reversed a decade-long decline in military spending as part of what he calls “proactive pacifism,” but his government is also rewriting laws to lift restrictions on Japan’s armed forces, which are already taking a more active role as far afield as the Gulf of Aden.

Japan is trying to sell Britain submarine-hunting patrol jets to replace the RAF’s axed Nimrod planes, as the country pushes arms exports for the first time in decades. Officials proposed a sale of P-1 maritime patrol aircraft last year during a visit to the UK, in a deal that could top £600 million. Britain scrapped its own Nimrod patrol planes after the 2010 cost-cutting defence review and has since had to rely on allies including France, Canada and America to fill the gap. The Ministry of Defence admitted last month that it had called on allies to send four planes...

Video LinkThrough a wide variety of projects, in order to quickly respond to any contingencies at home and abroad, we will build an "Adaptive Agile Ground Defense Force," rapidly deployed in phased sequence for effective deterrence and response, so as to bring forth a Dynamic Joint Defense Force. We are resolved to create a "Tough & Resilient JGSDF" capable of quickly responding and completing any mission anytime, thus defending our people's lives and property, and the territorial integrity of Japan.