defense

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Defense 'ministry' with more power will accelerate Japan's move to become a major military power
Akahata editorial

The government has decided to introduce a bill to upgrade the Defense Agency to a "ministry" in the next year's ordinary Diet session. This follows the agreement reached by general secretaries and policy commission chairs of the ruling Liberal Democratic and Komei parties.

Upgrading the Defense Agency to a "ministry" is not just a change of names.

It is not in compliance with the Constitution

The Defense Agency is a government agency under the direct control of the Cabinet Office which is a ministry in charge of administrative affairs, but it functions as an independent agency. The Cabinet Office also has the Financial Services Agency, the National Public Safety Commission (in the control of the police), and the Fair Trade Commission, all on the same status level as the Defense Agency.

The "prime minister" is the chief Cabinet member. The director-general of the Defense Agency doesn't have the right to request a Cabinet meeting for legislation on Cabinet orders. The defense chief is not authorized to make annual budget requests to the Finance Ministry. He can do this only through the prime minister.

There are reasons for not treating the Defense Agency as a "ministry."

The biggest reason is that the Constitution, based on remorse for the war of aggression caused by the reckless action of the military, renounces war and war potential, and denies Japan the right of belligerency. How absurd it is to revive the war ministry!

The government has continued to deceive the public by explaining that the Self-Defense Forces are not unconstitutional because they are an organization ready to use force in self-defense. In order to give this stretched argument legitimacy, the government could not but state that the Defense Agency will remain an agency and not be upgraded to a fully-fledged ministry.

This is why Prime Minister Kishi Nobusuke in the House of Representatives Cabinet Committee on May 16, 1960 stated: "National defense under the postwar Constitution must not follow the example of the army or the navy that existed under the old Constitution. The idea of maintaining a defense ministry will entail causing concerns about political power being enlarged. Any decision-making on this requires prudence." Kishi was commerce and industry minister under the Tojo Cabinet that started the Pacific War.

Prime Minister Nakasone Yasuhiro at the House of Councilors Cabinet Committee meeting on December 9, 1986 said: "In the light of the Constitution and other factors, it is appropriate to keep it (the DA) under the direct control of the prime minister."

However, Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro said, "That has been wrong" (Dec. 6), criticizing past cabinets' positions and disregarding of the Constitution. The move to upgrade the Defense Agency to a ministry is in line with the plan to adversely revise the Constitution in order to enable Japan to possess armed forces and wage wars abroad. Before lifting the constitutional ban on the use of force, the Koizumi Cabinet is attempting to eliminate the restrictions on the Defense Agency in order to strengthen the structure to engage in wars abroad.

Following the U.S. preemptive attack strategy, the Koizumi Cabinet promised the U.S. government to establish a structure to intervene in conflicts overseas. It plans to integrate the operations of the Ground, Maritime, and Air Self-Defense Forces in March, promote the sharing of SDF bases with U.S. forces, and introduce Japan-U.S. joint exercises. Upgrading the Defense Agency to a ministry will accelerate the integration of the SDF with the U.S. forces, thus increasing the possibility of war.

Subordination to the U.S. isolates Japan in Asia

The Japanese Constitution states that the Japanese people "resolved that never again shall we be visited with the horrors of war through the action of government." The move to upgrade the Defense Agency to a ministry indicates "the action of government" attempting to follow the U.S. to use forces overseas. Together with Prime Minister Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni Shrine, the government rejection to express reflection on the war of aggression will increase criticism and further isolate Japan in Asia.

What Japan should do is to cooperate with other Asian countries for peace based on the Constitution. - Akahata, December 15, 2005