Japan is one of the world's richest countries
But it's Constitution prevents it from having a military
The country's self-defense forces are among the most technologically advanced on the planet
But have not been involved in any conflict since their formation after World War two
That could one day change
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe a the island nation has ramped up defense spending over fears about North Korea's nuclear program
And China's growing air and sea power
So just how strong is Japan's military?
Japan spends around 1% of its GDP on its self-defense forces making it one of the world's biggest military spenders
The country has beefed up its defense budget for over seven years in a row
spending five point two trillion yen for forty seven point six billion dollars in 2018 that
Figure is still dwarfed by the United States
Which spent six hundred eighty six billion dollars in its neighbor China which spent under seventy five million dollars
The country's planning to increase defense spending going forward
outlining roughly
250 billion dollars to spend over the next five years a lot of the spending will be on US equipment in
Order to narrow the trade surplus Japan has with the United States and easie friction with President Donald Trump
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe a was reelected in 2017 on a pledge to take a tough approach to Pyongyang
Japan's Ministry of Defense has sought 5.3 trillion yen to be spent in
2019 alone to upgrade the country's defenses from North Korean ballistic missiles
Despite the rogue states leader Kim jong-un promising to abandon the country's nuclear weapons
Japan remains extremely wary of their Pacific neighbor a white paper from the country's Ministry of Defense in 2018
Labeled North Korea's Japan's most serious and pressing threat
Japan's armed forces has around 247 thousand active personnel
679 combat tanks and more than 3,000 armored fighting vehicles at
sea the country maintains four helicopter carriers
36 destroyers and 17 submarines in the skies the country has
285 aircraft including f15 and f2 fighters
Despite having such firepower. The country's armed forces are meant to be purely for self-defense in
The aftermath of Japan's defeat to Allied forces in world war ii a clause was created in the country's new constitution
Which outlawed war as a means to settle international disputes?
In strictly legal terms Japan's self-defense forces are not military, but extensions of the country's police force
Debates have raged for decades in the country over interpretation of the Constitution and if the clause should be changed
Prime Minister Abe a is trying to revise the country's constitution by 2020 to legitimize the use of Japan's self-defense forces
but will need a two-thirds majority in both houses of Japan's government and a referendum in order to pass as
The only nation to have suffered a devastation of nuclear attacks
Japan has long had a policy against weaponizing nuclear technology
But like with the Constitution some politicians have argued the policy needs to change in the 21st century in order to defend the country
against new threats
But any move in this direction will be met with fierce opposition at home
Despite possible changes to the Constitution. It is still unlikely that we will see Japanese armed forces in combat anytime soon
But the country's recent joint exercises with the UK Australia in India
Chill that Japan is making its regional rivals aware that they have allies who might help out in times of trouble
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