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Japan's Remilitarization by Christopher W. Hughes

Shamshad Ahmad Khan

To cite this article: Shamshad Ahmad Khan (2010) Japan's Remilitarization by Christopher W.
Hughes, , 34:4, 644-645, DOI: 10.1080/09700161003802877

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/09700161003802877

Published online: 24 Jun 2010.

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644 Book Reviews

Christopher W. Hughes, Japan’s Remilitarization, Routledge, London, 2009, pp. 165,

$19.95, ISBN 9780415556927
Strategic
Book Reviews
Analysis

Shamshad Ahmad Khan*

C rippled by the US-drafted pacifist constitution and growing pressure from the
peace lobbies, Japan adopted a pacifist security policy during the post-World
War II period. In an effort to implement the war renouncing clause of the Japanese
constitution, various governments in the country adopted policies such as ban on arms
export and related technology, one per cent GDP cap on defence spending, three non-
nuclear principles and non-use of space for defence purposes. However, these brakes
on remilitarisation became less of a restraint during the Cold War period as the 1 per
cent GDP ceiling was first breached in 1986 and the three non-nuclear principles were
weakened with a secret agreement that allowed US warships and US aircraft carrying
nuclear weapons to stop in Japan or pass through Japanese airspace or territorial
waters. The end of the Cold War and new security challenges provided greater impe-
tus to Japan’s remilitarisation. Against this background, Christopher W. Hughes
argues in his book that Japan is unshackling its own constraints and says that a clear
picture on Japan’s long-term remilitarisation can be established.
Hughes argues that Japan’s propensity to shift incrementally towards remilita-
risation has been accentuated by changes in the regional and global security envir-
onment since the end of the Cold War. He argues that North Korea represents the
most immediate threat to Japan’s security while China poses the greatest chal-
lenge in the medium to long term. To meet these security challenges, Japan has
adopted various measures by upgrading its defence agency to the Ministry of
Defence in 2007 and enacted the Basic Law for Space Activities in 2008, permit-
ting the use of space for defensive purposes. Hughes says that Japan’s deployment
of spy satellites and its ballistic missile defence (BMD) programme has progres-
sively pushed it to breach entirely the anti-militaristic principle of the peaceful
use of space.
But Hughes notes that the Japanese constitution, especially the war renouncing
Article 9, remains the ‘principal brake on remilitarisation’ (p. 98). The process of con-
stitutional amendment was expedited during Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s tenure. He
went a step ahead by constituting a committee to seek ways about how Japan could
engage in collective self-defence with its allies, an option presently banned under the
constitution. Abe’s exit, the author says, ‘choked off’ the debate on revising the con-
stitution and successive governments did not pursue the issue. Hughes says that it
appears that the constitutional change on this issue remains a low priority for Japanese
policy-makers but the perceived contradiction between the constitution and their
security ambitions mean that the issue of revision is likely to return over the longer
term. He quotes several opinion polls, conducted by leading Japanese dailies such as
Yoimuri and Asahi, to suggest that public sentiment to amend the pacifist clauses of
the US-drafted constitution remain high.
Hughes highlights the fact that alongside the constitutional revision campaign,
Japanese policy-makers are also trying to instil patriotic education among the youth
and the general public about the importance of national security. For example, the
Ministry of Defence sponsors the publication of a magazine Momuro (Defend) and
Shigeru Ishiba, one of the defence ministers, after his first stint, produced a set of
 Strategic Analysis 645

polemical memoirs and a Manga introductory text, which contains a variety of scenar-
ios, including a successful North Korean nuclear armed ballistic missile attack on
Japan. Hughes also discusses other efforts of the Japanese government to instil
patriotism, such as implementation of the law concerning the national flag and
anthem, which designated the Hinomaru and Kimigayo—two of the most prominent
symbols of pre-war Japanese militarism—as the national and official flag and anthem.
He opines that these measures may be interpreted as steps to foster patriotism. He
believes it was certainly an attempt to reverse many of the steps taken to demilitarise
Japan in the post-war period.
The author also analyses the growing collusion between industrial, political and
military elements in Japan’s defence production structure as well as transnational mil-
itary industrial complex, which he says is ‘a sign of significant remilitarisation’ (p.
77). He lays emphasis on the fact that Japan‘s effort to search the export market is
‘normal’ and needs to be seen from the perspective of the globalisation of military
production. However, he believes that this constitutes a departure from its previous
stance on arms transfers.
To assuage the concern expressed by its neighbours that Japan may embark on its
pre-war militarism, Japan has kept its defence system under civilian control and
enshrined a clause in its 1947 constitution, which stipulates that all the ministers must
be civilians and should not have a military background. Since then, the Japanese
Self-Defence Force (SDF) has been under the direct supervision of the prime minister.
Hughes, however, identifies various transformations and breaches of civilian control.
He says Japan’s tradition of bureaucratic-civilian control has been eroded by pressure
from the SDF and the reform efforts of the Ministry of Defence have been directed
towards increasing political control. He views these efforts by Japan as an attempt to
increase political oversight to expand the influence of Japanese SDF in security policy-
making and enhance its operational flexibility.
Apart from the internal factors that drive the remilitarisation process in Japan, the
author found some external drivers like the global security environment and growing
demand from the US to contribute militarily, which have forced Japan to respond
through increased use of its SDF overseas starting from Iraq to the Indian Ocean to
supporting NATO’s mission in Afghanistan.
In conclusion, Hughes argues that Japan’s attempt to enhance security ties with
Australia, South Korea and India will also impact upon the regional security land-
scape and urges Japan to recognise the fact that its remilitarisation may raise concerns
among its neighbours that will need assuaging.
The author has nicely analysed the developments in Japanese security policy and
has placed Japanese security issues within wider trends of its defence capabilities and
domestic debates on security policy. Thus, the book becomes a good source of
information for strategic thinkers and scenario planners. Apart from resources in Eng-
lish, Hughes has analysed existing resources in Japanese language, which had not
been analysed previously, and that makes the survey of literature very enriched and
informative. The appeal of the book will not be limited to those interested in Japanese
security and politics but will be of interest to the broader body of students and
researchers of international relations.
*The reviewer is a Research Assistant at IDSA.