Pertahanan Nasional Jepun : Implikasi Senjata Nuklear dan Peluru Berpandu Korea Utara Serta China

This thesis analyses Japan’s defense capability over the possibility of a nuclear and missiles strike from North Korea and China as well as its implications towards Japan’s security posture. In addition, it also evaluates Japan’s security policies based on two major considerations namely ’a moderate defense capability’ as well as ’the integrity of the Japan-United States Security Alliance.’ This thesis argues that Japan’s self-imposed constraints on militarism are currently faced with a gradual process of change mainly due to pressures from North Korea and China. However, this works rejects the neo-realists notion that Japan would emerge as major military power in the near future but instead argues that the assumptions of the post-classical realists appear to be more realistic and dominant in order to evaluate Japan’s contemporary defense posture. Although the integrity of pacifism is constantly being challenged, the movement of Japan’s defense posture to a ’normal state’ is also faced by the dilemma of vagueness in interpreting Japan’s constitution. The Japanese government has reiterated that in facing imminent and illegitimate missile threats towards Japanese territory, it is inconceivable that the country’s constitution disallows for preventive measures or even a counter attack. Although the Japanese Diet itself made a resolution that allows for measures that exceed’ the moderate defense capability’ currently followed, all this however, has remained much of a rhetoric amongst Japanese law makers, who rather take temporary measures in diffusing external threats. The question of Japan’s defense posture remains complex especially in view of the development of their respective nuclear capabilities by North Korea and China that continues to challenge Japan’s security posture especially in an environment shadowed by an unclear interpretation of the country’s constitution. This thesis also argues that Japan is currently faced with the need to redefine its defense posture as well as its defense treaty witlh the United States. This because the mechanisms of multilateral security in the context of Asia are inapplicable for realization especially when evaluated within the context of contemporary perspectives on the current security environment and the history of the East Asian region itself. Although various groups that continue to call for Japan’s return to a ’normal state’ have rejected the security and nuclear shield provided by the United States, this thesis concludes that domestic factors and a strong reliance on the Japan-United States Alliance will continue to shape Japan’s defense posture, at least in the near future