Rising Sun Resurgent?

[AdamG]

Why is Japan building up its navy?

9 April 2014 Last updated at 00:20 BST

As the balance of power in Asia swings towards China, Japan is building one of the most modern and powerful naval forces in the world.

In the aftermath of WWII, the US imposed a settlement on Japan, supposed to "cure" it of its war-making abilities.

In a new constitution, the country renounced war forever. But in 2013, Japan scrambled fighters 267 times to intercept incoming Chinese aircraft.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26949893

[AdamG]

TOKYO — Japan’s prime minister announced a reinterpretation of the country’s pacifist Constitution on Tuesday, freeing its military for the first time in over 60 years to play a more assertive role in the increasingly tense region.

The decision by the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will permit Japan to use its large and technologically advanced armed forces in ways that would have been unthinkable even a decade ago when they were limited to defending the country. The revision will allow the military to come to the aid of friendly countries under attack, including the United States.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/02/wo...tary.html?_r=0