Stability Then and Now: Article 9 and the American Military in Japan
Abstract
The security challenge facing Japan is, like that of every country, to defend its sovereignty as a nation-state. But Japan faces a unique tension in its pursuit and defense of sovereignty. Threats to territorial integrity and geopolitical interests suggest strengthening military forces and reducing dependence on the American military based in Japan. But at the same time, defending Japanese national culture and identity pushes toward retaining the pacifist Article 9 of the constitution that drastically limits what the Japanese military can be organized, equipped and deployed to do. The challenge facing Japan, with its unique combination of a constitution that proscribes war and playing host to approximately 50,000 American forces, is to defend its sovereignty in both internal and external ways. Internally, the country has a responsibility to the deeply imbedded pacifist culture built up in the seven decades since the second world war. Externally, it must defend itself against the potential regional aggression of China, and, perhaps, play a role in multinational defense efforts. These two fights for sovereignty are inherently in conflict with each other, but will have long-term impacts on hosting the U.S. military.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1108151
Entities
People
- William Woodward
Organizations
- Air War College