The Japanese National Security Council: The Japanese Facsimile of American Security

By political force, gentle persuasion or valid democratic decisions, Japan's leaders are reversing the political structure of the traditional post-war Japan. Japan's recently employed policies and strategies are rapidly increasing Japan's sovereignty while moving away from dependence on U.S. Military protection. In doing so, their policies also continue to further emulate U.S. methods of providing national security. This trend is most apparent in the Japan's recent decision to form a Japanese National Security Council with the U.S. NSC model specifically in mind. Even amidst the rising tide of criticism of the current leadership and a new Prime Minister, their resolve to distance themselves from reliance on U.S. protection while employing U.S. methods to independently militarize remains strong in their policy making process and is now beginning to be reflected in the very framework of their government organizations such as the JNSC.

KATANAS TO PLOWSHARES: JAPAN EMBRACES PACIFISM

Since the end of World War II the nation of Japan has absorbed an extensive quantity of Western ideas and practices into their own culture. The efforts of the Allied Forces and the United States especially to remodel Japan in their own image have proven very effective. Japan has proven loyal to their pacifist pledge of Article Nine[1] of their Constitution (partially fabricated by SCAP MacArthur during the American occupation to keep Japan under the United States' sphere of influence) which renounced war and stripped them of an official military.[2] Large US military installations like the one in Okinawa once provided an assured umbrella of protection for Japan, but the withdrawal of U.S. troops is imminent. The U.S.-Japan Security Treaty eventually expects Japan to one day rebuild their military and independently protect themselves, but not in a manner that would seem aggressive or discourage peace.[3] Thus, a slow transition to a fully militarized Super-Power of U.S. design has been ongoing since the treaty was signed in 1951.