Two noted experts interviewed by The Japan Times have contrasting views of Prime Minister Abe’s ambitions to alter Japan’s postwar security posture.

But what they agree on is that the bills adopted by the Cabinet on Thursday will, if passed by the Diet, increase the likelihood of Japan being drawn into combat overseas, which is something the country has not experienced since its surrender at the end of World War II.

Kyoji Yanagisawa, a former Defense Ministry official, said the bills show Abe is trying to cater to the interests of the U.S. and not those of Japan itself.

But Hikaru Tomizawa, a former chief of staff of the Ground Self-Defense Force, welcomed Thursday’s Cabinet approval as “a step forward.” It is about time that the nation abandons its introspective pacifism and contributes to international security, even if it means raising the risks that SDF personnel face, Tomizawa argued.

However, polls have suggested that many Japanese are wary of overhauling the country’s security policies so quickly.

bbabo.Net