The unprecedented military and economic rise of China is forcing Japan to adopt and revise its military doctrine, as fears and anxieties grow over Beijing’s territorial ambitions.
While the country has largely remained pacifist since its defeat in the Second World War, concerns over shifting the military doctrine have intensified among political circles, particularly with China almost certainly planning to retake control of Taiwan.
Japan has begun investing heavily in military spending since 2023, but recent tariffs and Washington’s defence spending demands have placed additional pressure on Tokyo.
Japan fears that China could invade Taiwan in the near future, triggering a confrontation with the United States, which would inevitably draw Tokyo into the conflict as well.
The country is also struggling to maintain its military numbers, as young men and women show little interest in military service due to the controversial past of the nation.
Before the Second World War, the Japanese imperial army committed crimes against humanity in China, carried out Nazi-style medical experiments on Chinese citizens, and committed widespread sexual crimes against both genders.
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China’s “century of humiliation” under British colonial rule and the Japanese invasion before the Second World War is still deeply embedded in the country’s national consciousness, and Japan’s fear of retaliation by China remains well founded.
Tokyo wants to build a stronger military presence in south-western regions such as Okinawa, home to around 70 per cent of US military facilities in Japan and regarded as strategically vital for monitoring China, the Taiwan Strait, and the Korean peninsula.
In 2023, the Japan Self-Defence Forces (SDF) aimed to recruit 20,000 personnel but managed to enlist only half that number, according to the Defence Ministry.
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