A video on Al Jazeera features Japan’s move to rename and strengthen its self-defense force. Tomohiko Taniguchi, a Councillor in Japan’s Cabinet Secretariat, emphasizes in the video that Japan has vowed not to repeat World War II and that it has learned from its past mistakes, adding that, “If you come to Japan and try to see if any hint of militarism exists, you will laugh.” He said, “Once again, who else in the world is there whose armed forces have not shot a single bullet…Whereas if you look at the Chinese, they’re pushing the envelope.”
The video says the main reason for the change is “China’s increasingly aggressive moves to challenge ownership of islands in the East China Sea.” [Source]
Recent controversy around Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s definition of aggression during World War II has continued to fuel tensions between China and Japan.
