50 Ways 10 Ways 5 Ways Japan Could Use Its Restricted Military Under New Law
Posted: September 17, 2015 Filed under: Asia, Diplomacy, Japan, Mediasphere, War Room | Tags: Aftermath of World War II, Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, Beijing, Japan, Japan Self-Defense Forces, military, Military parade, Shinzō Abe, Tokyo, World War II Leave a comment
After Japan’s defeat in World War II, its new constitution banned it from going to war or deploying military forces except for self-defense. Now Japan’s parliament is expected to pass legislation as early as Thursday night to allow troops to support allies fighting in a war, even if the conflict is beyond Japan’s borders. Here are five ways Japan’s Self-Defense Forces would change….(read more)
Source: WSJ
Key Paragraphs from the #AbeWarStatement
Posted: August 14, 2015 Filed under: Asia, History, Japan, War Room | Tags: Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, Asia, Battle of Okinawa, Beijing, China, Chinese yuan, Constitutional amendment, Richard Lloyd Parry, Shinzō Abe, Twitter Leave a comment
Japanese http://t.co/XDr19Qt9fD and English http://t.co/PnKunhlfqy versions of #Abe‘s war statement.
— Richard Lloyd Parry (@dicklp) August 14, 2015
Richard Lloyd Parry via Twitter
Japan: Thousands Rally in Tokyo Against Abe’s Security Bills
Posted: June 14, 2015 Filed under: Asia, Breaking News, Japan, War Room | Tags: Aftermath of World War II, Agence France-Presse, Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, Asia Pacific, Democratic Party of Japan, Japan, Kiyomi Tsujimoto, Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), Pacific Ocean, Philippines, Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzō Abe, Tokyo 1 Comment
Thousands of Japanese rallied Sunday in protest at plans by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to bolster the role and scope of the pacifist nation’s military
The protest which surrounded the Diet building was held as the nationalist premier tries to force through parliament a set of controversial bills making the changes.
国会で審議が進められている安全保障関連法案に反対する抗議集会が行われ、主催者発表で約2万5000人の人が国会周辺を取り囲みました。
The bills are a pet project of Abe, who says Japan can no longer shy away from its responsibility to help safeguard regional stability, and must step out from under the security umbrella provided by the United States.
The draft legislation would broaden the remit of Japan’s well-equipped and well-trained armed forces.
It would allow them to go into battle to protect allies-so-called “collective defense“-something which is banned by a strict reading of Japan’s pacifist constitution. Read the rest of this entry »
Tokyo: Japanese Man Sets Self on Fire In Protest Over Military Rule Change
Posted: June 29, 2014 Filed under: Asia, Japan | Tags: Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, BBC News, Constitution of Japan, Japan, Reuters, Shinjuku Station, Shinzō Abe, Tokyo, United States Leave a comment
BBC News reports: A man set himself on fire in central Tokyo in protest at a proposed law which could allow Japan to deploy its military overseas.
“He was sitting cross-legged and was just talking, so I thought it would end without incident. Then all of a sudden his body was enveloped in fire.”
The man was taken to hospital after being hosed down but his condition was not immediately known, officials said.
Japan’s government could make the change to its pacifist constitution as early as next Tuesday.
Mr Abe has said Japan must change to adapt to a new security environment
The US-drafted constitution bans war and “the threat or use of force” to settle international disputes.
Witnesses said the middle-aged man, wearing a suit and tie, climbed onto a pedestrian bridge at Tokyo’s Shinjuku station.
“He was sitting cross-legged and was just talking, so I thought it would end without incident,” one eyewitness told Reuters. “Then all of a sudden his body was enveloped in fire.”
Reports said the man used a megaphone to shout for over an hour about the change to Japan’s constitution. Read the rest of this entry »
