Japan Rising
By Phar Kim Beng
Founder/Chair
Strategic Pan Indo-Pacific Arena
Strategicpipa.com
Twitter: @indo_pan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Strategicpipa
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The rise of Japan is not a new thing. In the 19th century, through intensive reforms known as Meiji Reformation, Asia had witnessed the first inkling of a Japanese ascent. The problem with Japan’s rise is the perceived ‘junior’ status it is supposed to have viz a Middle Kingdom like China. Thus, every bit of progress in and by Japan, is watched with some envy and trepidation by China; creating a rivalry that has produced both tragedies and painful aggression on the lives of millions on both sides.
Kenneth B. Pyle, being an avid Japanologist, perhaps one of the top ten thinkers in the United States, knows all too well that the rise of Japan is irrepressible. With or without a change in Article 9 of the Japanese constitution, Japan’s self-defense forces packed enormous firepower. When this is married with the military capabilities of the US, based on the US-Japan Security Alliance, the net effect is a Japan that is quite capable of defending itself, and if need be, exercising the nuclear option one day; if the likes of North Korea continue to put it in harm’s way.
But it is important to note, too, that Kenneth B. Pyle framed the re-emergence of Japan as “Japan rising”. Unlike the discourse on the “rise of China”, which is considered an after-thought, the process at which Japan needs to go through remains delicate and fraught with populist resistance, factional fights in all political parties, and parliamentary and electoral fisticuffs.
Even under Prime Minister Abe, widely known as a conservative, who wants Japan to reassert itself in light of the twin threats of China and North Korea, the journey towards achieving precisely that is a meandering one. There will be times when Japan appears reluctant to go forward, as when Japan merely protested at the missile tests of North Korea, without imposing further sanctions. But, there are also times when Japan has quietly built up its anti-missile ballistic defense in tandem with the US and South Korea.
This is a good book to have to understand the inner motivations of Japan, invariably, the struggle that comes along with the politics of belated nationalism. Why belated? Since the end of the Pacific War, Japan has taken a very low profile; preferring to position itself as a “global civilian power”. Japan was and still is the second-largest contributor to the United Nations (UN). Even the United Nations’ University peace program is conducted in Japan. But since 2009, if not earlier, the year which marked the “assertiveness of China”, the systemic pressures and forces adduced from the territorial transgressions of China, both in the air and at sea, have made Japan more nationalistic than ever; especially within the ranks of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
When the voters turn out are low, and the population greying, nationalism makes sound political sense. On any given day, when the election is held, at least the nationalist will come out to vote en masse; thus ensuring the political advantage of each party, especially LDP, to perpetuate its hold on the country. Thus, it is a combination of domestic and external factors, that are making Japan more strident in its steps. Kenneth B. Pyle’s book captures such dynamics quite well.
