Japan’s “Proactive Contribution” and the US Rebalancing Policy

Abstract

On September 19, the Japanese Diet passed new security legislation despite a “tumultuous struggle with opposition parties.” According to The New York Times, the new legislation would “overturn a decades-old policy of reserving the use of force for self-defense” by “authorizing overseas combat missions for his country’s military.” This description seems to be an exaggeration. In reality, the cases which Japan could dispatch Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) to exercise the right of collective defense overseas are limited to only regional contingencies that would critically affect Japan’s security. In addition, the JSDF’s military mission would be strictly limited to noncombatant activities, such as logistical support of Japan’s major ally, the USA, and allied nations. In other words, the JSDF would be allowed only to participate in combatant missions for Japan’s territorial defense. In other cases, such as a UN peacekeeping operation, or international security activity undertaken by a coalition of nations, such as Operation of Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, the legislation would not allow the JSDF to participate in combat missions.