Japan is considering to remove weapons export ban, or is it?

Two days ago, the Japanese Defence Minister, Toshimi Kitazawa told U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates that Japan is going to reconsider its ban on weapons export. A day later a cabinet level secretary from the Japanese Government confirmed it in a press conference. And now unconfirmed reports are coming in of the Japanese Prime Minister having denied to review the forty-year old Japanese law.

Why all the fuss? Since 1967, Tokyo has effectively banned arms export to rest of the world through a legislation. Japan (along with Costa Rica) is one of the world's only two countries which has a pacificist clause in its constitution. There are laws in Japan which ban the country from going to war, keeping an army (of course, Japan has a 250,000-strong "Self Defence Force") or ever tinkering with a nuclear weapon.

However, in recent years there has been a strong minority emerging in Japan that advocates throwing away these bans and develop some strong muscles so that China can't bully Tokyo around. The Americans, who have provided Japan with security guarantee since World War II, would also like to see Japanese chipping in instead of taking a free-ride on American military might. Many conservatives in Washington see a huge expense coming the US way in the next twenty years as the cost of containing the Chinese military machine. They would obviously like to see someone sharing the bill.

With the Chinese coming off as more threatening in the past few months with their naval activities in the Pacific and North Korea constantly in the "crazy" gear, it is logical that the Japanese are worried about their security. Some in Japan have gone to the extent of calling the government to develop its own nuclear weapons, a view that Americans share.

Therefore, the removal of arms export ban is critical as it can been seen as the first step towards Japan reverting to its martial roots. A land of ninjas and Samurais, I am sure Japan has the capacity. The question is do they have the will?

Image: Japanese Kamikaze pilots of World War II

Image Credit: The Telegraph