Scholars have expressed concern over Japan's accelerating and deliberate push for re-militarization, which runs counter to the country's postwar pacifist Constitution.
In interviews with China Media Group (CMG), the experts warned that Japan remains deeply influenced by its militaristic past, noting that its society and state apparatus were once entirely structured to wage war.
"In the past, when Japan invaded China, the term 'total mobilization system' was used. That is to say, it wasn't just about strengthening military forces or simply possessing weapons. It also meant that within the nation and society -- including ideology, culture, and even the way people think -- a kind of network-like social mechanism had to be constructed to support war," said Tomoyoshi Kimura, director at the Northeast Asia Dynamics Study Group.
Japan's wars of aggression inflicted catastrophic loss of life and destruction, bringing profound suffering to the peoples of Asia. The death toll across East Asia (excluding Japan) is estimated to have surpassed 19 million. Japan itself endured heavy losses: more than 2 million soldiers and 800,000 civilians died.
In April, the Japanese government's bill to establish a new national intelligence committee cleared the powerful House of Representatives.
Aimed at consolidating the country's fragmented intelligence capabilities into a central command, the new apparatus will oversee intelligence activities covering not only national security and counter-terrorism, but also "overseas intelligence activities" involving foreign espionage.
While the bill has drawn deep concerns from opposition parties and the public over the new body's potential privacy threats and its ability to remain politically neutral, the Ryukyu Shimpo starkly said in an editorial that Japan has taken yet another step closer to a "new pre-war system."
"As part of a broader program of re-militarization and an adjustment of Japan's posture from being a pacifist-oriented nation to what is emerging today, this centralization of the intelligence apparatuses is another brick in the wall, and it's another dangerous sign," said Warwick Powell, an adjunct professor at the Queensland University of Technology.
Kimura said Japan's increasing drills are a dangerous sign that indicates the country is potentially preparing for launching wars.
"Some Japanese still believe Japan would never start a war. But with those drills, Japan is becoming a nation ready to fight anytime -- in the Pacific, the East China Sea, and beyond. That's extremely dangerous," he said.
Scholars voice concerns over Japan's accelerating re-militarization
