The House of Councillors [5], Japan's upper house of parliament, on Sept. 19 approved a measure [6] that allows the Self Defense Forces to deploy troops abroad for the first time since World War II. The legislation passed the lower house [7] of the Diet in July. The law was backed by Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe [8]'s ruling coalition. The measure faced substantial opposition within Japan and protestors [9] gathered outside the parliament the day before the vote. Opponents of the bill are upset that the law contradicts pacifist provisions [10] in the constitution of Japan [11], specifically Article 9 [12], which states: "the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes." Abe argues [13] that the national military must take a more active role in order to strengthen its position against growing military power in China and a nuclear-armed North Korea. The government put limits on military deployments in the new law, but critics argue those limitations are extremely vague.
From Jurist [14], Sept. 19. Used with permission.
Note: What is at issue here are foreign combat missions. Japan has had troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan [15] in an ostensibly non-combatant role over the past decade.
