Japan Press Weekly

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2014 June 18 - 24 [POLITICS]

State presents new policy to promote ‘merchants of death’

The Defense Ministry on June 19 worked out a new strategy to boost Japan’s international competitiveness by supporting the domestic war industry. The policy intends to encourage and promote “merchants of death” by joint cooperation between the public and private sectors.

This move follows the Abe government’s removal of Japan’s arms embargo in April.

In line with the strategy, the government is to provide aid to the domestic munitions industry over the next decade. The policy includes a fiscal investment and loan program for companies exporting weapons.

The basic plan also proposes that the state grant subsidies to research institutions and universities and use the research results for developing arms. In a bid to enhance the system to procure weapons, the administration plans to set up a “defense equipment agency” as an organ attached to the Defense Ministry.

On the same day, Japanese Communist Party lawmaker Inoue Satoshi criticized the policy at an Upper House Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee session, saying, “To promote the war industry with the state and the private sector acting together will run counter to many people’s voices opposing the lifting of the ban on arms exports.”

In the meantime, Japan’s 13 arms manufacturers such as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) showed off their military products for the first time at an international arms exhibition in Paris.

Video footage posted on the Internet on June 17 brought to light that Senior Vice-Minister of Defense Takeda Ryota visited the venue and enthusiastically leveled a simulation gun at other visitors. His aberrant behavior has incurred harsh criticism from the general public.

Past related articles:
> Japanese-made weapons to be displayed at international expo [June 1, 2014]
> Lifting arms embargo is integral to Abe’s attempt to build war-fighting Japan: Yamashita [April 2, 2014]