Japan launches first defense ministry since WWII

[sharpener]

Japan has launched its first full-fledged defense ministry since World War II as part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's efforts to build a more assertive nation...read more (http://asia.news.yahoo.com/070109/afp/070109072905top.html )

[reon]

Is this the start of a more nationalistic Japan? Should we foreigners be concerned?

[puting tainga]

>Concern
Not really.
Japan is safer this way.
Promotion to a Ministry gives it a more effective decision making process in emergency, its right to demand budget in peacetime, according to a report.

The only thing I am concerned right now is the more I look at Abe, the more he looks like Doc Oc of Spiderman 2.:D

[shzuokaOrfan]

I think this is good sign for Japan. Ever since the unconditional surrender aboard the US Battleship Missouri in 1945 and up to this date, Japan has been under the control of the US military policy which has been successful in controlling the former's military logistics over the past years while recently coming under threats and aggression from North Korea and a little pressure from China.

While there's no definite guarantee that the country will not relive it's own dark past, I believe that Japan, with it's advanced economy, has the absolute right to self-determination and self-protection and with this right comes the necessity to arm itself with military logistics that it deems sufficient to protect itself from external aggression. Unlike rouge states that could spell doomsday, Japan, very much like the US and the UK, needs a strong military defense capability just to protect it's own economy and it's sovereignty. The present defense policy has been crippling Japan's defense capability. Japan cannot yet possess aircraft carriers, bombers, and heavy loaded fighter planes just to name a few.

It does appear to be only about defense budget requests and emergency powers but once the Japanese constitution is effectively revised or ammended to pave the way for arms buildup, then the points I raised up may seem plausible as well. But not in a way to intimidate Japan's friendly neighboring countries.

Just my 1-cent though.