Japan is blurring the line between defensive and offensive military power in spite of its pacifist Constitution, rattling nerves in northeast Asia.
he exercise would have been unremarkable for almost any other military, but it was highly significant for Japan, a country still restrained by a Constitution that renounces war and allows forces only for its defense. Dropping live bombs on land had long been considered too offensive, so much so that Japan does not have a single live-bombing range.
This is a major step for Japan and it could be signs of saber-rattling to offset the rising threat of China.
When I was stationed in Japan the unofficial thinking was Japan would be a military power again before 2020
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