	Generational Dynamics
	Forecasting America's Destiny ... and the World's

\| HOME \| WEB LOG \| COUNTRY WIKI \| COMMENT \| FORUM \| DOWNLOADS \| ABOUT \|

Generational Dynamics Web Log for 18-Dec-06
Japan comes closer to renouncing its postwar pacifism

Web Log - December, 2006

Japan comes closer to renouncing its postwar pacifism

Japan stirs fears of increased militarism by upgrading its Defense Agency to a full ministry, after legislative action on Friday.

In addition, the bill calls for increased patriotism by asking teachers to instill thinking among students "respecting tradition and culture and loving the nation and homeland."

Related Articles

Japan
Japan and China in confrontation over comfort women: Meanwhile, countries throughout region are increasingly anxious as China makes major new military announcements.... (7-Mar-07)

China's Foreign Minister replies to "China threat" to US and Japan: And China changes the official transcript to hide what he really said.... (1-Mar-07)

Japan's real estate crash may finally end after 16 years: To see where America is going, look what happened in Japan.... (20-Feb-07)

Japan comes closer to renouncing its postwar pacifism: Japan stirs fears of increased militarism by upgrading its Defense Agency... (18-Dec-06)

New Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe represents "hawkish" generational change: He's sure to infuriate the Chinese and Koreans.... (27-Sep-06)

In an Independence Day surprise, North Korea launches multiple test missiles towards Japan: Sticking its thumb in the eye of the United Nations and the United States,... (4-Jul-06)

Japanese minister calls Chinese a considerable military threat: Relations between China and Japan continue to increase in anger and hostility,... (22-Dec-05)
Japanese and Chinese relations are deteriorating sharply : Between China's search for oil and Koizumi's shrine visit, the level of anger and suspicion is rising fast. (23-Oct-2005)

China and Japan head for military confrontation over disputed islands.: Meanwhile, a Chinese general threatens America with nuclear war over Taiwan.... (16-Jul-05)

How generational changes affect Japan and China: A page one article in today's Wall Street Journal... (28-Jun-05)

China makes five demands of Japan: After Japanese leader apologized at length for Japan's history,... (25-Apr-05)

Neither China nor Japan backing off from increasing confrontation: As conflict increases, America's Pacific strategy is coming apart at the seams.... (20-Apr-05)

Thousands of Chinese protesters hurl bottles at Japan Embassy in Beijing: Anti-Japanese feelings in China and Korea have been erupting for weeks.... (09-Apr-05)

Korea - Japan relations nosedive over long-disputed islands: 2005 is supposed to be "Korea-Japan Friendship Year,"... (18-Mar-05)

Japan blocks most North Korean ships from its ports: The Japanese, infuriated by North Korean abductions in the 1970s,... (01-Mar-05)

Ambassador to Japan calls North Korean threat "deadly": While the Bush administration has been trying to give a muted, non-alarming response to the North Korean threat,... (18-Feb-05)
Japan: Is Japan's economy finally near collapse? (26-Mar-03)

After a series of brutal crisis civil wars in the 1860s, culminating in the 1868 Meiji Restoration that changed its 250 year old form of government, Japan became increasingly militaristic and imperialistic. The motivation at that time was simple: If the Europeans could succeed in empire-building through colonization, then so could the Japanese.

By the time Japan transitioned from its "generational unraveling" era in the 1920s into a "generational crisis" era in the 1930s, the relatively benign concept of win-win colonization had transformed into a philosophy of full-fledged militaristic conquest, leading to the attack on Pearl Harbor and World War II.

Just as the 1860s crisis war transformed Japan from an isolationist country to an imperialistic country, the 1940s crisis war transformed it again, this time to a pacifist country, governed by a 1947 U.S.-drafted Constitution that forbids Japan from military action except in self-defense.

Integral to that decision was a mutual defense treaty with the U.S. that says that, essentially, Japan doesn't need armed forces because the U.S. will protect the country if necessary.

Now that Japan is, once again, entering a new "generational crisis" era, its pacifism is unraveling. Generational changes are turning leadership positions over to Japanese born after World War II, with the result that the leadership is increasingly confrontational with Japan and Korea, just as China and Korea are increasingly confrontational with Japan. This generational change extends to Japan's new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, born in 1954, who is considerably more hawkish than Junichiro Koizumi, the man he succeeded earlier this year.

The calls for increased patriotism and military readiness, sponsored and promoted by PM Abe, are infuriating his pacifist political opponents, who claim that Japan is returning to its prewar imperialism, including the the state-sponsored indoctrination of children.

China and Korea haven't yet responded to the new law, since there's still a "honeymoon period" with the new Prime Minister, and because China and Japan are now cooperating on the issue of North Korea nuclear weapons. But expect that to change in the months to come.

From the point of view of Generational Dynamics, Japan and China are heading for war with 100% certainty. As the generation of people who grew up during the war and have personal memory of the horrors of World War II all retire or die, the younger generations will increasingly reject compromise and containment of problems, and adopt solutions involving confrontation. (18-Dec-06) Permanent Link
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Donate to Generational Dynamics via PayPal

Web Log Pages

Current Web Log

Generational Dynamics Web Log for 18-Dec-06 Japan comes closer to renouncing its postwar pacifism

Web Log Pages

Generational Dynamics Web Log for 18-Dec-06
Japan comes closer to renouncing its postwar pacifism