Japan Press Weekly

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2019 November 20 - 26 [POLITICS]

Operator of Japan’s first arms expo recognizes that Japan already changed Article 9

Akahata on November 21 reported that an operator of DSEI Japan 2019, the first full-fledged arms expo held in Japan, in the event’s official guide book stated that Japan already changed the war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution.

The arms trade show took place for three days from November 18 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture.

In an interview article carried in the official guide book for the expo, Alex Soar, international development director for Clarion Events which runs DSEI, said that the “recent changes to the Japanese constitution allow for an expanded military, the ability for Japanese troops to deploy overseas, and for the indigenous Japanese industry to be more aggressive globally.” He went on to say that “now is the perfect time” for the arms expo in Japan, and added that the event will allow the arms industry to “capitalize on the Asian markets.”

Soar made his statement with an eye on the Abe government’s moves to turn Japan into a war fighting nation, such as with the implementation of the national security law and the revision of conventional interpretation of the Constitution enabling Japan to use its collective self-defense right to send the Self-Defense Forces to conflict situations abroad.

It is obvious that the event director made his remarks based on misleading information. On the other hand, it became also clearer that the government led by Prime Minister Abe moving forward with the creation of a war-fighting Japan will provide lucrative business opportunities to the “merchants of death”.

DSEI Japan was fully backed by the Abe government. Former Administrative Vice Minister of Defence Nishi Masanori headed the organizing committee and the Defense Ministry’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency set up its booth in the expo.

Past related article:
> Concerned citizens publish statement calling for cancellation of planned arms trade fair [November 1, 2019]