How did Japan Keep its Army after the World War?

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Our historical documentary series on the history of the Cold War continues with a video on the history of Japan, as we try to deduce how Japan managed to keep its army after World War II. We are discovering why the Japanese Self Defense Forces (JSDF) were formed and what were their function.
How American Occupation Changed Japanese Culture: • How American Occupatio...
How Japan Became an Economic Powerhouse: • How Japan Became an Ec...
Japan and the US Occupation: • Japan and the US Occup...
What Happened to the German and Japanese POWs? • What Happened to the G...
Communist Attempts to Take Over Japan in the 1950s: • Communist Attempts to ...
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#ColdWar #Japan #JSDF

[@TheColdWarTV]

Video is Sponsored by Ridge Wallet: www.ridge.com/TheColdWar Use Code “TheColdWar” for 10% off your order!

[@nsfeliz7825]

dont even get me started on the zentraidi invasion in battletech.

[@banderson716]

LOL!! Fasttech sell it for $2.57. this con artist wants well over $100.

[@jpvigotty]

@@nsfeliz7825 try try

[@yolanda231000]

What about operations against Godzilla, Mothra, Ghidora, and Mechagodzilla? These were important milestones in the history of the JSDF.

[@alexplotkin3368]

Dude you beat me to posting that! JSDF tanks would get lots of ineffective target practice against Godzilla. 👍

[@nsfeliz7825]

dont forget the zentraidi invasion in battletech.

[@hemidas]

@@nsfeliz7825 That's Robotech, not Battletech.

[@lucinae8510]

The JSDF are often useless against Kaiju, but who else is gonna save Japan? Scientists? Kids? Fairies? People with psychic links to Venus people? Think realistically!

[@round_earther3195]

And their future combat operations when a GATE opened up in a park in Tokyo.

[@noobster4779]

"Its not a tank....its a special vehicle" Reminds me of Germany during the Interwar period and how they tried to cover up the rearmament: "no no no no, this isnt a tank.....its just....ah....a tracktor!"

[@Wyrmshadow]

Loltractor in WOT.

[@dand7763]

it's USA who allowed this to be happen ,why ? China is near...and USA wants Japan strong now, because China is no.1 enemy now, a threat for them

[@hasselnttper3730]

Luftwaffe? Don't be ridiculous! All these military aircraft are part of the postal service 😉

[@brucenadeau2172]

@@dand7763 and in 1948 the soviet union also became a threat

[@lordgarion514]

@@brucenadeau2172 Oh no, the allies knew the Soviet Union was a threat even before WW2. But everyone knew Germany was, by a mile at the time, the greatest threat to the world. Roosevelt himself said that to beat Germany, he “would hold hands with the devil”.

[@jurtra9090]

Remember when JSDF fought against Medieval Armored Knights at Alnus Hill?

[@Reaper2004]

And saved the Emperor in the end during a Coup hahaha

[@Kalashnikov413]

And even helped the Emperor and the legitimate Imperial government to destroy his own son

[@Menaceblue3]

Is that a -JoJo- Gate reference?

[@MTTT1234]

Oh yeah, the joys of terminology. Like when the USSR called their aircraft carriers of the Black Sea Fleet 'Flightdeck Cruisers' so as to not be affected by a treaty that forbids aircraft carriers crossing the street of the Dardanelles. Isn't language fun?

[@yourstruly4817]

Since when did the Soviet Union sign treaties?

[@MTTT1234]

@@yourstruly4817 They did all the time. Only question is about whether or not they followed them...as goes for every other nation, I guess.

[@sandvichbros1659]

The treaty is a double edged blade. On one hand no country can send a heavy warship to to black sea, on the other hand the Soviet can't send their heavy warship out too. That until the American send their missile cruiser which the treaty only account for gun and not missile.

[@robert48044]

I still hate calling a ski jump a carrier

[@robert48044]

You know the States do it with Painting a red cross on a vehicles to get under treaties. War kicks off paint over the cross.

[@tng2057]

The 70s saw a more rebellious (against the US) Japan, championed by prime ministers Tanaka and Fukuda, with a more assertive Japanese JSDF and more home grown lethal hardware such as Type 74 tank and Mitsubishi F1 fighter plane. However Japan fell back to US protection in the late 80s as China itself became more assertive and more a regional rival to Japan. Ironically Type 74 MBT tanks only saw real action once, during the 2011 Fukushima nuclear plant clean up post earthquake as the tank was capable to be used in nuclear contaminated environments.

[@erwinsetyo1061]

how and why they use Type 94 tankette for a dangerous task like that

[@tng2057]

@@erwinsetyo1061 It was Type 74 (not 94 -typing error) MBT. The Fukushima Daichi plant needed something to move contaminated debris and that got help from this veteran.

[@xiaoka]

Jsdf, pacificists and right wing nationalists in Japan is a super interesting topic. Thanks for sharing.

[@alexplotkin3368]

The Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) were also actively focused on fighting Godzilla, Rodan and other monsters in the 1950s and 1960s. 🙂

[@jeffyoung60]

The JSDF Army proved its worth by incurring hundreds of thousands of casualties standing up to Godzilla (Gojira), the Smog Monster, Killer Twin Apes, Lobster Man, Mothra, Robot Godzilla, Monster Snapping Turtle, Giant Abominable Snowman, among many others.

[@cyonemitsu]

Fun fact; in 1952, the Japanese National Safety Agency sought to acquire Essex-class aircraft carriers from the US with the Y-construction plan, seeking no fewer than 4 such carriers. The antisubmarine warfare group (Hunter-Killer group/HUK group) saw a CVE/CVS as the core of their fleet, and made a bid to Arleigh Burke supposedly stating that "a navy ought to have aircraft." The US in turn was willing to offer 2 Essex-class carriers in 1954, however, in December of 1956, the Defense Agency conducted a study which determined that "procurement of a CV is premature", given Japan's economic situation at the time, and instead the budget was better served in the acquisition of a larger destroyer fleet.

[@NYCamper62]

I remember in the early 80's when my ship visited Sasebo Japan. There were huge protests that U.S. navy ships were in port. They were basically peaceful but still happened.

[@greenkoopa]

Hearing about protests in other countries makes me mad. I'm American btw. Mad in the sense that in America if people dont agree with what you protest they call you a liar instead of looking into facts

[@stephenjenkins7971]

@@greenkoopa And what exactly makes you think that doesn't happen in literally every other democracy? xD

[@madcat789]

Don't forget all those times the SDF took on Godzilla, I'm sure that helped with PR.

[@whathell6t]

@madcat789 Unfortunately, the Japanese Government gave citizenship to Godzilla which I assume piss-off the JSDF personnel since many of their comrade died from fighting against Godzilla.

[@jasonsabourin2275]

Not having a standing Army & Navy was a ridiculous Notion.... How The Hell Were They Supposed to Fight off Godzilla, Rodan, Ghidorah, the Gargantua bros. Gamera, Mecha-Godzilla.....

[@jasonsabourin2275]

@@dragosstanciu9866 Their Good People. 🙂

[@nc8507]

And Mothra too

[@minoru5760]

Appreciate to this great movie! As one Japanese, I think this explain should be subbed on Japanese lang. Actually I couldn't listen up some parts. In Japan, especially after 2001, JSDF and Article 9 became political matters many times (and still now). So we must thank you to introduce these history.

[@yourstruly4817]

It helped Japan and West Germany that America's new enemy was a bigger threat than their predecessor states combined

[@robert48044]

unfortunately the two prospered while East Germany suffered under the Iron Curtain

[@ciprianbodea7838]

@@robert48044 Same goes for the rest of the easter central european countries, like Romania, Hungary, Poland and so on, abandoned by the UK and France to the socialist savagery at the end of the war.

[@JR-rv3xr]

@@ciprianbodea7838 They weren't truly abandoned. Winston Churchill never trusted Starlin and continually advocated for the Liberation of Eastern Europe in 1945 and onwards. Unfortunately Britain wasn't strong enough to take on the USSR alone. Also president Roosevelt at the start did trust Starlin thinking he was just posturing his forces in the east to keep the peace etc. It was wasn't until president Truman that America realised the USSR could be a threat. Also don't take my word for it, there are lots of videos on this channel explaining why Eastern Europe couldn't be saved without the Americans Britain may have won the war with its allies, but it was broken and exhausted shell of its self. (I'm not including France I don't know enough about their situation)

[@ciprianbodea7838]

@@JR-rv3xr So what exactly was Britain's excuse in 1939 when the Soviets invaded Poland along with the Germans? I understand America not wanting to get involved since they had no legal obligation to help the countries of central, southern and eastern Europe, but Britain and France had alliances with them and even guaranteed the independence of some of them. What was their excuse for declaring war only on Germany, but not on its ally, the Soviet Union, too?

[@JR-rv3xr]

@@ciprianbodea7838 Good question. I don't actually know. However I think a good starting point would be some study of the Anglo/French - Polish Alliance treaty first. Generally as a rule of thumb Britain won't form any alliance if it's not beneficial to our own cause. So I suspect there's probably a line limiting help only against Germany but not Russia. 🤷‍♂️ Do you have any ideas?

[@dhruvgandhi1755]

One Wonders if the Americans had been a little more liberal towards armed forces in the Constitution, The Japanese DF and possiblyy Japan as a whole, might have looked a lot different today. How incredulous to see how much of history is affected by mere words.

[@LordCoeCoe]

At least the Soviet Union didn't take over Japan like East Europe. I don't think if the US was more kind to Japan that Japan would be too different.

[@atakorkut5110]

Imagine how different Japan and the world would be if it was split along Soviet American lines like Germany the economy would certainly not be where it is today

[@greyscaleb1537]

@@atakorkut5110 Russia had no means to split Japan, just taking the tiny northern islands made them reconsider an attempted invasion of Hokkaido, those amphibious capabilities were nothing in what is necessary to even gain a quarter of it.

[@XOFInfantryman]

It was actually more of Japanese wish than Americans for JP Armed Forces would look, the no war in their constitution was suggested by one of the Japanese working with Americans post ww2

[@Joshua_N-A]

Just the renounce the right of war and belligerency is enough. Japan would've have the most sophisticated armed forces second to US. The aircraft carriers would've been strictly for air defense, anti ship, anti submarine and protecting sea lanes operations around Japan, not to be used to attack other nations. The budget will be the wall to prevent the Japanese armed forces to build up more than it should be. Deploying outside Japan should be no more than one battalion in size and strictly for getting Japanese nationals out of conflict zones and bringing them home only.

[@mcnacnud]

Love this episode, this is a topic I knew very little about

[@richardwong5616]

In my opinion, the JSDF is extremely necessary in regards to their neighbor in the north, North Korea and their neighbor to their West, mainland China, especially when the Cold War was still around

[@basichistory]

Really enjoyed this episode well done.

[@CallsignYukiMizuki]

It's not an Aircraft Carrier, it's a Helicopter Destroyer ;)

[@HistoryOfRevolutions]

"It is not the accumulation of extraneous knowledge, but the realization of the self within, that constitutes true progress" - Okakura Kakuzo (岡倉 覚三)

[@uzairahmed8309]

Great video

[@jasonsabourin2275]

Well Done! 👍

[@brokenbridge6316]

All I have to say about this is this. It makes sense that Japan would have a defense force of some kind. Whatever it is. My compliments to all those who made this video a reality.

[@Marinealver]

Lets not forget about the deployment beyond a magical portal against mounted knights and dragons.

[@CivilWarWeekByWeek]

Was it to take on Godzilla

[@__40su]

mhm

[@Healermain15]

We're not saying it wasn't Godzilla.

[@2710cruiser]

@Hunter6213 Aiyeee… And thus the SDF went on a peace keeping operations on the other side of the Gate

[@WillN2Go1]

The traditional Japanese castle in Shibata, Niigata Prefecture is less than half its original size, the other half is the Japanese Defense Force station. I thought when I saw it that this was a continuation of tradition, but maybe not. It was however like National Guard facilities in the U.S. a lot of vehicles for logistics and almost no one in sight - so ready to help in a natural disaster. And there was a debate in the Diet a couple of years ago about making the JDF more powerful. And of course there was the infamous occupation of a JDF building by the writer Mishima who then committed suicide in protest of the weak military force (or something....). And on that same trip I was on Sakurashima, in Kagoshima and spotted a JDF submarine.

[@davidlamb2888]

Good old uncle Sam....I must say the cold war series is excellent.Narrator is the best.👍👍

[@theawesomeman9821]

I respect Japan's pacifism but I think the Japanese ought to be able to adequately defend itself beyond its JDF since the world as we know it has only gotten crazier.

[@keeroy]

i love post-war japan. it became an example democracy which can be envied by the rest of the world.

[@ShinobiHOG]

Awesome video.....

[@gojo76]

Love this chanel, and love the videos about cold war japan.

[@nunopereira265]

Every country must have a defense force, a world with no war doesn't exist

[@KonradAdenauerJr]

When the #JSDF got formed in the 1950s, roughly half of its personnel were World War II veterans.

[@Joshua_N-A]

I thought they were mostly police officers.

[@KonradAdenauerJr]

@@Joshua_N-A At first, yes. After they started allowing vets in, they joined.

[@2710cruiser]

Now I kinda understand why the SDF often has some events with anime… in particular JMSDF with Kantai Collection (I see them a lot on Twitter and other social media). I know part in due to get new recruits and also come to think of it… project a soft image of themselves.

[@DTHCLOWN]

Has this channel ever done videos related to Interpol during the cold War years? I hear the name of many groups and factions, but I don't hear much about Interpol itself.

[@emilhilmy7740]

Bit chuckle when he mention JSDF is small force. JSMDF have fleet that actualy only surpass by Chinese and US Navy. It's capability already surpass Russian Navy (not USSR), and RN and Marine Nationale. This before they even convert their large 'destroyers' toward full fledge light aircraft carriers.

[@kygersoft]

Is it true that tv game show "takeshi's castle" was a cover program to train japanese people similar to military training but disguised as a game?

[@nebsam715]

The first thing I thought after seeing the thumbnail is the anime Gate damn I miss that show

[@janponcyljusz3621]

What is the music that plays at the end of the video?

[@shazzatulanam6680]

It just goes to show there are no eternal enemies or eternal friends.

[@eavyeavy2864]

Except usa and every country not their puppet

[@stephenjenkins7971]

@@eavyeavy2864 What people like you consider "not their puppet" actually means "doesn't bend over for -insert dictatorship here- anti-US causes".

[@DoctorDeath147]

Tell that to the Balkans Tell that to the Japanese and South Koreans

[@shaider1982]

11:10 perhaps if they listened to Patton regarding the Soviets back then.

[@Kalashnikov413]

And in the end, we would still help evil countries

[@matheusvillela9150]

Do a video on Operation Northwoods.

[@padawanmage71]

I thought the Self Defense Force was always there to fight off Godzilla. =)

[@afds_bm]

Y’all are awesome!! What’s the name of y’all’s soundtrack?

[@ericoberlies7537]

Fortunately, Japan also has the Science Patrol. Thus Hayata, using the Beta Capsule, was able to become … ULTRAMAN.

[@nomMascot]

2:53 - interesting point about the Japanese PM at the time. From reading a biography of Emperor Meiji (D. Keene) the military elite and sometimes individual lower ranking officers had for decades, on many occasions, acted on their own whims without government knowledge. The murder of Queen Min of Korea, Dalian incidents for example. Japanese gov.s of the time would cover up their lack of control over the military to avoid embarrassment. In saying that though, I’m not implying those J-govs didn’t also at times have knowledge and/or gave approval for some awful things. Maybe the 1945 J-PM wanted to break military political power for future decades. Article 9 would achieve that too.

[@emsouemsou]

You say "small", but the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force is the fourth-largest navy in the world after the US, Russia and China.

[@theawesomeman9821]

Japan reminds me of the Star Wars planet Mandolar where people are divided between either being pacifists or warriors.

[@slipstreamxr3763]

Where do think the idea came from? Star Wars is heavily based on Japanese culture and lore. Star Wars IV: A New Hope was basically Hidden Fortress in space.

[@user-cx1ki8li4t]

I'm very glad to see Japan on your channel. Japan is an important role often ignored in the history of the cold war and has had a great impact on world history. Japan has excellent military capability, but he rarely uses the army after World War II, because Japan's Constitution limits Japan's right to use military power. Every time the US asks Japan to go to war as his ally, Japan asks: unless you allow me to modify my constitution and let me have real military power, the Japanese will not bleed for the Americans. The US disagrees. A little supplement: Soviet leader Andropov once wanted to make friends with an important country to improve the difficulties of the Soviet Union. His idea was China or Japan, which can prove that Japan was at least as important as China in the cold war. According to Bush's memoirs, one of the reasons why he launched the war in Iraq (or the war in Afghanistan, I don't remember clearly) is that he believes that the United States can create a second Japan. Finally, from a purely artistic point of view (I don't agree with any of his political views), I like Yukio Mishima very much, but one day he rushed to the Japanese army to try to carry out a coup, and then he committed suicide. This is a sad thing.

[@stephenjenkins7971]

The US does not have the ability any longer to say what Japan's Constitution allows or doesn't allow, the reason the limitations upon the Japanese military still exists is because...the pacifists in Japan want it to. There have been a few attempts to upend the status quo, but it has so far failed due to internal pressure. That's it.

[@Charliecomet82]

Create a "second Japan" out of Iraq or Afghanistan? Dubya was just as stupid as they said he was!

[@reco5able]

Oh that explain why kaz wanted to create msf in peace walker

[@EdMcF1]

'This howitzer is really handy when there's an earthquake or tsunami' said no one ever.

[@megumin1054]

US park rangers use howitzers to cause avalanches prematurely

[@ricostrider515]

Neon Genesis Evangelion theme intensifies

[@TheCimbrianBull]

And they all turned to Fanta.

[@ligayamatira2164]

We Wish to Feature about the Philippines under Martial Law from 1972 to 1981

[@SamuraiRockerstone]

Samurai warriors of the Cold War Era

[@kimyseock]

Stalin&Kim Il-sung: Thanks to me!

[@shibayamatomoki8430]

Considering the current geopolitical climate and the rise of China as a global superpower, would you be open to do a series of "Analysis and Insight Update" sessions for China sometime in the "not-so-distant-future" similar to what you are currently doing for the "War in Ukraine" and how China learning lessons from Russia's strategies in Ukraine as the conflict is ongoing is setting the stage for a possibly similar rise in tensions with Taiwan as well as the "rearmament" of Japan breaking precedent from its "pacifist" stance since the Treaty of San Francisco in 1952?

[@oldgus01]

The Japanese Self Defense Force and US Defense Pact, AKA what happens when M. Night Shyamalan writes a country's historical military doctrine.

[@jacksmix7123]

Dont like some policies, but for the time being they were effective, nowdays most are obsolete

[@rupvictoria3017]

the Japanese military reformed while at the same time US military bases still stayed in Japan even after WWII and to this day! you have military bases like Kadena Air Force Base, Yokota Air Force Base, and Misawa Air Force Base 🇺🇸

[@bigceelos]

I think the better title would be SECOND world war as I feel it's a little confusing. It left me thinking about Japan after the FIRST world war. (which, they were an ally and I don't think they faced any repercussions.) A very interesting video none the less. keep up the great work.

[@pierredecine1936]

Good Video - and you never once said: Paramilitary

[@tonycavanagh1929]

Needed to fight against Godzilla

[@juamu1132]

Is it me or does this remind me of postwar wwI german army.

[@omarhaq9635]

To this day the Japanese is not angry at the US for dropping the atomic bomb on them

[@No_Man_Is_An_Island]

It’s just me or the Flag of the JSDF looks kinda weird

[@MichaelLantz]

Has Japan conducted any covert military operations after World War 2.Would Japan sent in Japanese Combat troops to Korea or Vietnam to halp the United States?

[@DrHydra47]

If you ask people in Japan they will say they dont have an army just the JSDF which in their mind isnt an army

[@Ruzaraneh]

of course somebody need to protect the 377.975 km² Aircraft carrier then JSDF was born...

[@PakBallandSami]

japan

[@RidgeWalletYT]

Team Carbon Fiber 💪

[@USBearForce]

So the USA disarms Japan after WWII due to fears of resurgent Japanese militarism, only to find that the biggest roadblock to its desire to rearm the country after the start of the Cold War… was Japan’s own lack of public support for the project. If it wasn’t detrimental to US national interests I’d have to laugh.

[@davidcoleman2796]

This is why they could never beat Godzilla ! Lol

[@kasugaryuichi9767]

Japan needs a proper military with a possible draft but JSDF is a strong force that will not break easily at least.

[@kasugaryuichi9767]

@@dragosstanciu9866 on paper, no. JSDF needs to be included in the constitution.

[@johnl.7754]

I think JSDF might be a paper tiger since its population is anti military/war so the best and brightest people are not going to the military.

[@karoltakisobie6638]

Does JSDF have good relations with ROK armed forces? They must be cooperating very closely with neighbors like China and NK.

[@Golmar_227]

Well they did have military intelligence sharing pact but South Koreans decided to reverse that decision. So i can't imagine the JSDF is so chummy with ROK forces.

[@mohammedsafwan7827]

They actually hate each other. It's referred to as a sort of cold war. It's rather unfortunate.

[@Golmar_227]

@@mohammedsafwan7827 Yeah, thanks to current ongoing South korea-Japan trade dispute which baisically poured oil on fire

[@coolspot18]

Koreans like the Chinese aren't too fond of the Japanese due to WWII, however, South Korea and Japan do have a pragmatic relationship. This could all be fixed, East Asia could be a super power if China, Japan, and Korea resolved their differences regarding WWII... Of course the Americans would never let that happen!

[@Golmar_227]

@@coolspot18 As Korean Australian i'd like to this European union styled alliance in East Asia in my lifetime tbh

[@followerofjulian1652]

Is *that* how NPR came about?! 🤣🤣🤣

[@beachboy0505]

Good video 📹 Actually, the Japanese did a clever thing. Spending money 💰 on a national army can be diverted elsewhere.

[@joeespo177]

I tried to like this series and do, but find it distracting that so much time is spent watching the host wave his hands around like he's guiding a fighter jet to a carrier deck. Why is it necessary to have so much time devoted to looking at him? Why not just have a narration without all the hand waving?

[@varana]

One of the reasons is usually scarcity of footage. For many topics, there's just not enough accessible film material out there to fill 15 minutes of narration. Japan in general may be kinda okayish on that front, but footage involving the JSDF and its previous incarnations of the relevant time (i.e. showing 50s material when talking about the 50s), is considerably harder to come by. For more exotic topics, or topics that don't readily lend themselves to visualisation, that becomes even more of a problem. So most channels like this either have a host (like Crash Course, or The Great War and its successors, etc.), or rely on illustrations by artists, like Kings and Generals themselves. (And then there's channels like Sam Aronow who use an illustration of the host. :D)

[@matthewmann8969]

Probably compensations, charities, donations, repayments, refunds, and lost and founds yeah

[@Yora21]

My first guess for the answer would be "Communists!"

[@Shentazam]

Papa Haydn

[@addisonsmith7949]

And also, it was also designed to deal with the paranormal

[@Black-Sun_Kaiser]

Japan is a great ally.

[@agnotwot7997]

Ah but unlike the Bundeswehr the JSDF is a competent force lol.

[@jurtra9090]

Budeswehr is also competent. What are you talking about?

[@agnotwot7997]

@@jurtra9090 Most of the ones I dealt with in Afganistan just sat around drank beer and were so overweight they prob could not pass a US pt test.

[@Mike-tg7dj]

So did Germany yet, there were German Bundeswehr troops with boots on the ground in Afghanistan after 2001. I'm guessing you already knew that, and you might have been about 10 in 2000. Maybe?

[@alexplotkin3368]

Does article 9 of the Japanese Constitition make any reference to fighting Godzilla and other monsters?

[@sirsurnamethefirstofhisnam7986]

Article 10 deals with all Godzilla related issues

[@Idahoguy10157]

It’s impossible for Japan to have a large military. It’s a volunteer force. Also the Japanese birthrate won’t even keep the population number equal. Then there’s that Japan’s population is aging. One advantage is that with the lack of a large military Japan’s military was not a major drain on the national economy.

[@robert48044]

Did the Japanese come up with their immigration policy or did the Americans?

[@Otter-Destruction]

NPR Officer Instructor: Do not rape and/or terrorize civilians IJA Officers: OOHHHHHHHHH

[@wernerhasenpusch8459]

Had the US realized much earlier that it would be better to have Japan as a strong ally in Asia, Japan would still have normal army and navy, albeit in a reduced size than during the WW2. If that were the case, Japan could have fought alongside the US and its allies in the Korean War. Thereby, increasing the chance of winning the war.

[@Taistelukalkkuna]

And Koreans might have gotten really salty about Japanese.

[@lanceroparaca1413]

As always with the US that would have created a clusterfuck of its own.

[@geth7112]

It wouldn't be a wise decision in the fight to win the hearts and minds of people to allow the army that only a few years ago colonized them and committed atrocities on the regular.

[@stephenjenkins7971]

@@lanceroparaca1413 The fact the US didn't do that is kinda a testament to its ability to dodge the worst clusterfucks that seem to ail most big nations tbh xD

[@gardayustisia4528]

They did not have enough money to do that.

[@martinstent5339]

I always thought that Article 9 was a reflection of the pacifistic mood of the Japanese population. I hadn’t realised that it was imposed by the Americans. Germany also had very anti-military sentiments after the war. I think it was good thing for Japan to make a clean start with their armed forces. If they had continued to have a military force, it would have been a nest of imperialist sentiment and been a danger to the government probably even up to now!

[@b1121]

Actually article 9 wasn’t imposed by the Americans. It was the Japanese people who opposed having a military. The Americans just went along with it because the Japanese people didn’t want a military. The Japanese prime minister and the deit at the time came up with article 9. It’s at 2:50 .

[@justintiamson8973]

I think that Article 9 has been a great thing for Japan and Asia in general. Japan was able to invest the money for the military in its own people and build back from the damage of the war. This allowed the country to experience massive economic growth and prosperity. Internationally, it kept Japan from being into America's disasterous foreign wars like Vietnam and Afghanistan. It also reduced regional tensions and repaired tensions with its neighbours as they saw it no longer as a threat. This is why it is concerning that far right groups (including literal Prime Ministers) are trying to destroy the 70 years of peace. First by remilitarizing Japan, second by denying the history of WW2 atrocities to justify a more aggressive foreign policy, and lastly by promoting regressive beliefs such as racism against minorities, institutional sexism, and xenophobia. However, despite these challenges I still think that the future is bright. The conservatives and far-right have failed to rewrite the constitution despite being in power for 70 years, Article 9 is supported by the majority of the public, and most Japanese youth are more progressive than their parents with atleast an understanding that what they did in the war was bad and that peace is important. I do hope Japan won't ever slide again into facism and militarism can still maintain its liberal, democratic, and pacifist society.

[@johnl.7754]

It’s only possible because of the US military protection especially since it still lives in a dangerous neighborhood whose governments still actively encourages hatred of it for its actions from WW2 in order to serve their own political goals.

[@matthewct8167]

@@johnl.7754 this is true. Japan has no friends. I heard that Japan would not give military technology to South Korea because they are afraid the Koreans will use it against the Japanese.

[@geth7112]

@@matthewct8167 they do have some allies they have a good relationship with Taiwan and many of the Southeast Asian countries.

[@stephenjenkins7971]

I think I saw this same exact post verbatim in a PolyMatters comment lol

[@vinny4411]

Japan is an American aircraft carrier

[@williamlouie569]

Japan could saved a lot of money by not having an army.

[@firstcynic92]

Nothing about the enormous losses the JSDF suffered because of daikaiju? And no mention of the expeditionary force sent through the GATE into the "Special Administrative Region"? They ended up killing about 200,000 troops that attacked the Alnus Hill base.

[@markarca6360]

One answer: China.

[@-JA-]

[@zight99user]

Seriously do you give that cold magenta skin tone on purpose or what? I cannot look at it.

[@monmonfiasco6391]

Japanese should retain their last Battle Ship instead of giving it away to US and use it in Nuclear test in bikini

[@megumin1054]

It was a loss even for a historian aspect. Although I have heard if the Nagato was repatriated it would have likely been scrapped due to the severe metals shortage in post war Japan.

[@MariaCorrea-mr2gy]

The neo-imperial japanese army and navy is here!