Commentary What’s motivating Japan and Prime Minister Kishida? The People’s Republic of China (PRC). Xi Jinping has succeeded in getting Japan to take its defense seriously—something the Americans never had much success at. Some Japanese were concerned about the PRC’s military threat in the early 2000s, if not before. Indeed, then-Prime Minister Abe’s efforts in…

The Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) have been granted approval to build a military base on an uninhabited island in the southwestern Kagoshima prefecture, which will be used to relocate U.S. military aircraft drills. Kagoshima Gov. Koichi Shiota said Tuesday that his prefecture “has no choice” but to grant the JSDF permission to build a military…

Commentary When considering Japan’s defense policy, particularly the speed at which it changes, it’s good to keep your wits about you. The following apocryphal exchange between a skeptical U.S. observer and a Japanese government official following some newly announced defense initiative is instructive: U.S. observer: “I suppose you’re going to get it done, ‘mañana’?” Japanese…

Commentary An optimist would suggest that at least Japan realizes it needs more money for defense. However, beyond that it’s hard to be too positive. The request was in the 2.6 percent increase range. And this is before Ministry of Finance is done adjusting that amount. Japanese defense budgets have been woefully underfunded for decades….