"The Return of the Imperial Japanese Military" Topic

I tweeted the Japanese PM a few months back and encouraged him to restore the IJA and IJN. Would you support a return of Japans former military strength?

Yes we need all the allied help we can against China or Russia?
No you warmongering weirdo!

I'd say no. I mean, it worked out so well last time…

Yes. Especially if we can encourage their Imperial ambitions towards another Russo-Japanese war. And ignore the human rights issues.

Yes. The Japanese are a very different people now than they were in the 1940's. I've been there a number of times and worked with them for years. They see an expansionist and agressive communist empire right across the sea and better a serious defense ability now than a frenzied nationalist reaction later.

As long as they confine themselves to fighting China and leave European and American colonial interests alone, I'm fine with that.

I think the issues around Japan and her neighbors are still fresh even after 70 years and gratuitous gestures have no measurable upsides and a host of risks. The South Koreans are every bit as aggrieved at Japanese inability to fully apologize for their responsibility for abuse as the Chinese and added tension between South Korean and Japan only hurts US interests.

They have an Emperor so is appropriate. Plus it is up to the Japanese to decide. Doesn't matter if outsiders agree or not.
The shouldn't have any say if we use Royal or not. So vice vetsa

No. The IJA committed some heinous crimes. Even permitting the Wermacht traditions to continue was a mistake. I love the history of Prussia and Japan as much as anyone, but until the Japanese make a massive u-turn on the narrative of WWII they have, they have lost the right to that tradition.

And before telling me that this is ridiculous idea, Germany still cannot legally call any of its territories Prussia.

So says you. Name me a military force that has existed for any length of time that hasn't committed heinous atrocities.

why single out Japan, just because they lost WW2?

No need to fuel China's paranoia any further!

A giant big no.

Yeah. There are consequences to losing wars. Why should they be ameliorated in this case?

Also not getting the difference between crimes committed centuries ago (Let us say Sweden, and what their armies did in Poland in the deluge, or Denmark in the 17th century) and crimes committed within living memory. Of course there are those that see no crimes. Obviously if one sees no crimes, there is no issue in using terms like IJA again ,or why not Red Army, or SS in the end (all armies which in recent memory butchered civilians, POWs, and did much worse, but who had an impressive fighting record).

The Realist believes himself amoral and prides himself of it, but scratch the surface and a devil smiles back.

What's the one thing that would make China, both Koreas, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam, the Phillipines and at least 30 to 40% of Australia's population stand together?

You Americans didn't have the Japanese slaughter hundreds of thousands to millions of your civillians. Those scars run far deeper than you imagine, and they have not healed.

And seperate to that, do your damn research on the actual size and composition of the JDF. They are the largest high tech military in the region second only to America. They don't need to be encouraged to rearm, they've done that already guys, and in spades. Why do you think that a lot of the Japanese defence establishment is happy for there to be no US military presence on their shores? Here's a hint, they know that if they had to fight a defensive shooting war with China they would win, and win convincingly.

If you're really that paranoid about China, you'd be focusing your efforts on modernising the militaries of those nations that hate BOTH China and Japan. They're your best response to the growth of China, so look to Vietnam, South Korea and the Phillipines guys, they actually want your help and want to be your friends.

And I give McWong73 the golden trophy of truth and wisdom!

I'm also with McWong73. What difference would a name change make? And if you're looking for a strong ally in the region, actually take a good look at the JMSDF. It's pretty easy to tell them from other modern Navies … they're more efficient, better trained, and have cleaner ships.

McWong73 lays it out. Well said!

That seems like something that should be left up to the Japanese to sort out.

Currently, a formal, foreign-deployable army is against the constitution though they've been skirting that limit pretty closely.
Some want to change the constitution, some want it to be adhered to rigidly.

That debate should seem pretty familiar to Americans.