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The Shift and Continuity of Japanese Defense Policy: Revolutionary Enough?

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The Shift and Continuity of Japanese Defense Policy: Revolutionary Enough? The Shift and Continuity of Japanese Defense Policy: Revolutionary Enough? Ria Putri Santoso President University, Indonesia Anak Agung Banyu Perwita President University, Indonesia Abstract The security environment in East Asia has continuously evolved, particularly concerning China’s maritime expansion and North Korea’s provocative behavior. Japan, with its military that is being limited by its pacifist Constitution, has been steadily shifting its defense policy to respond to its strategic environment for its past three Prime Ministers: Naoto Kan, Yoshihiko Noda, and Shinzo Abe. Historical enmities, military capability, as well as territorial disputes have increased the threats from Japan’s neighbors to Tokyo’s national security. Since 2010, Japan has established a National Defense Program Guideline (NDPG), shifted its defense strategy from the Basic Defense Force (kibanteki boei ryoko) to Dynamic Defense Force (doeki boei ryoko), revised its Three Principles on Arms Exports, created the National Security Council (NSC), the National Security Strategy (NSS), and the Medium Term Defense Program (MDTP), as well as reinterpreted the Article 9 of its pacifist Constitution. While the NSC, NSS, MDTP, and Article 9 are conducted under the Abe administration, the claim that the steps Abe has undertaken to be revolutionary is misleading, as they are in fact a continuity from his predecessors despite coming from opposing political backgrounds. Despite of several significant changes in its defense policy, Japan still abides to its Constitution and its military is still limited. Key words: Shinzo Abe, defense policy, Japan, defense force, military Introduction has a lot to consider in its strategic environment. Located in the easternmost of East Asia, Japan is bordered by seas with other As of recent years, Japan seems to East Asian nations. On its western coasts, have been making bold moves in regards the Sea of Japan lies among North Korea, to its military and the constitution. The South Korea, and Japan. Furthermore, cabinet’s approval for a reinterpretation of China lies next to Japan’s southwestern its Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) in most islands, separated by the East China order to help defend foreign countries Sea. With historical enmities with several under the notion of self-defense has now of Japan’s East Asian neighbors and given way for JSDF to fight overseas with territorial disputes, combined with its allies when they are under attack China’s maritime expansion, and North (Withitwinyuchon, 2016). The step has Korea’s missile and nuclear threats, Japan been met with criticism from its neighbor, China, whom believes that Tokyo has Journal of ASEAN Studies, Vol. 4, No. 2 (2016), pp. 156-177 DOI: 10.21512/jas.v4i2.1906.g1747 ©2016 by CBDS Bina Nusantara University and Indonesian Association for International Relations ISSN 2338-1361 print / ISSN 2338-1353 electronic Journal of ASEAN Studies 157 endangered the peace in the region (BBC paper elaborates the Japanese defense News, 2015). While it may seem bold, the policy under three different steps taken by Tokyo, however, are administrations: Naoto Kan, Yoshihiko derived from Japan’s security threats from Noda, and Shinzo Abe. its strategic environment that needs to be addressed to achieve its national security. Threat Perception of Japan This article discusses the shift and As one of the nations located in continuity of Japanese foreign policy East Asia, Japan’s wellbeing is affected by related to the changes of its strategic the region’s strategic importance. Japan’s environment. Most often, the defense geographical location is surrounded by policies of states in a particular region are the seas (Figure 1), ensuring that maritime influenced by the geopolitics of the region. security is of critical importance to Japan. The purpose of this is to achieve the best ‚Japan is surrounded by the sea, and possible strategic environment so that has a long coastline, numerous remote national interests and ultimately national islands and a vast Exclusive Economic security will be attained. The significant Zone (EEZ). Japan is a maritime state interest of superpowers in a particular and dependent largely on region has altered the significance of that international trade for its supply of region’s geopolitics not only regionally, food and natural resources.‛ (Japan’s but also internationally. In particular, this 2014 National Defense Program Guideline (NDPG)) Figure 1. Map of Japan In its 2015 Defense White Paper Guideline (NDPG), Japan has identified and its 2014 National Defense Program itself as a maritime nation that depends on 158 The Shift and Continuity of Japanese Defense Policy sea transport to import resources such as Barry Buzan’s, Robert O. Tilman’s, and energy and hence achieving secure sea Janice Gross Stein’s elements of threats lanes as much more vital for Japan’s (structural, geopolitical, socio-cultural, survival (Ministry of Defense, Japan, economic, and historical), as well as Ole 2015). In fact, Japan’s focus on its Elgström’s level of threats assessment maritime capability goes as far back as its (specific/diffuse, immediate/remote, 2005 NDPG, where it has emphasized the probability/severe). The threat dimension need for maritime perimeter and can be specific to an issue or diffused. It strengthening its capability to deter can also be an immediate threat to the threats away from its shores (Ministry of national security or a remote one that is Defense, Japan, 2004). not as threatening. Last but not least, a threat dimension may be in the short-term ‚In considering Japan’s security, we (probability) or in the long-term (severe). have to take into account vulnerabilities resulting from: limited As shown in Table 1, North Korea strategic depth; long coast lines and poses a structural threat that is specific, numerous small islands; and a large immediate, and can be both in a number of important facilities in probability (long-term) and severe (short- coastal areas, in addition to frequent natural disasters due to Japan’s term) under the Kim Jong-un regime to geological and climatic conditions, Japan. The geopolitical system in East and the security of sea lines of Asia, where North Korea is an ally of communication which are another source of Japan’s threats, China, is indispensable to the country’s the same as its structural dimension: prosperity and growth.‛ (Japan’s 2004 specific, immediate, and can be both in the NDPG) long and short-term. China is North Korea’s biggest trading partner, as well as The authors use various literatures its main source of food, arms, and energy to analyze the level of threats and how it (Albert and Xu, 2016). Moreover, as the affects Japan’s strategic environment. most secluded country in the world Particularly, both North Korea and China (Davis and Jared Feldschreiber, 2013), who pose significantly more dangerous North Korean people are highly threats to Japan as compared to other homogenous and are subjected to long states in the region, bearing in mind their years of propaganda from their proximity. government (Uria, 2016). However, both ‚The fact that North Korea is carrying the historical and economic dimensions out nuclear testing and strengthening are more to a diffused, remote, and in the its ballistic missile capabilities is a long-term aspect of threat perception by significant threat to the safety of Japan. Japan and North Korea have not Japan.‛ (Japan’s 2010 Defense White had any direct war, and North Korea’s Paper) economy is not large enough to threaten The analysis on North Korea and Japan’s economy, considered be as one of China as threats perceived by Japan is the world’s worst economy especially based on the analysis of several authors. since its great North Korean famine in the The authors base it on a combination of 1990s (Eberstadt, 2016). Journal of ASEAN Studies 159 Table 1. North Korea as a Threat to Japan Structural Geopolitical Historical Socio-cultural Economic Dimension System Dimension Dimension Dimension Specific Diffuse Immediate Remote Probability Severe ‚China is increasing its activities in China Sea activities and its South China waters close to Japan. The lack of Sea ones (Dingli et al., 2016). Table 2 transparency of its national defense below shows that in terms of geopolitical policies, and the military activities are system, historical, and social-cultural a matter of concern for the region and dimension, China is a perceived threat to the international community, Japan that is specific, immediate, and both including Japan, and need to be carefully analyzed.‛ Japan’s 2010 probable and severe. This is so as China’s Defense White Paper proximity is very near to Japan, while its size is enormous. The historical enmity China also poses a threat to Japan’s has shown considerably the bad blood national security, whose structural between the two nations. The threat of dimension is specific, immediate, and Beijing is exemplified with the rapid both probable and severe. China’s regime economic rise of the state (Ministry of under Xi Jinping has been more assertive, Defense, Japan, 2015), and has also especially in its maritime expansion become a specific, immediate, and both (Matsuda, 2014) and has increased more long-term and short-term. pressures to Japan both through its East Tabel 2. Japan's Threat Perception to China Structural Geopolitical Historical Socio-cultural Economic Dimension System Dimension Dimension Dimension Specific Diffuse Immediate Remote Probability Severe As such, bearing in mind that utmost importance to preserve Tokyo’s Japan is surrounded by seas, and its position and stability. Identifying itself as location in East Asia is in proximity to a maritime nation (Ministry of Defense, both North Korea and China that are seen Japan, 2015), its maritime and naval as threats to its national security as prowess is at the front of its focus, mentioned in Japan’s 2014 and 2015 especially considering China’s expansion Defense White Papers respectively, the of its open seas activities.
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