Japan moves ahead on the military path

Arms dealers from around the world flocked to Yokohama last week for Japan's first post-World War II ammunition exhibition because they had enough reason to believe the country was emerging as a new big buyer of weapons.

Coincidentally, the Japanese cabinet approved two bills last week to allow deployment of Japan's quasi-military Self-Defense Forces abroad. The bills are expected to be passed during the current session of the Diet, which ends on June 24, fuelling a huge demand for weapons and logistics equipment by the SDF.

The two bills, after being passed, will become laws and allow the SDF to exercise collective self-defense if Japan's allies are attacked, even if Japan is not, if it "believes" it could pose a threat to the country. The SDF would also be able to help other allies in other parts of the world if it deems it necessary to maintain "peace and security of Japan". Once the bills become laws, they will necessitate the revision of Japan's 10 existing laws related to the SDF that limit its activities overseas.