Monday's Diet approval of defense-related bills signifies that Japanese security policy has entered a new phase. Now, Japan has a legal framework for defending itself against military attacks. This is no cause for complacency, however. The real challenge for the nation is to make greater efforts for conflict prevention, particularly diplomatic endeavors to promote peace and stability.
The new legislation, designed to supplement the war-contingency legislation that took effect a year ago, consists of seven laws, including those for protecting civilian populations, facilitating U.S. military operations through provision of goods and services, and intercepting third-country ships suspected of carrying military supplies in and around Japanese waters.
Japanese research on contingency legislation dates back to 1963 when the Self-Defense Forces started an internal study to deal with a new crisis on the Korean Peninsula. Two years later, revelations about the study touched off a heated debate in the Diet, with opposition parties criticizing the SDF for preparing for war. In 1977, after years of hemming and hawing, the Defense Agency launched a formal study on such legislation.