No CrossRef data available.
We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 May 2025
[Editors' note: The final version of this article was received just prior to the announcement of Fukuda Yasuo's resignation as Prime Minister. Tanter comments: Fukuda's resignation will change nothing in the underlying domestic and alliance strains that lead to his decision to resign. The next Liberal Democratic Party leader, whether Aso Taro, Koike Yuriko, or someone else, will face the same limitations, and the same demands on military policy, but with even more diminished political resources and room for maneuvre. If the LDP moves to a general election following the selection of a new Prime Minister, the Democratic Party of Japan would be under severe pressure, on the one hand, from domestic sources to make good on its criticism of the Indian Ocean deployment, and on the other, from the United States, to recognize US understandings of Japan's global responsibilities – and maintain the deployment - possibly as the price of power.]
[1] The author thanks Arabella Imhoff and Mark Selden for a close reading of an earlier version of this paper.
[2] Richard Tanter, The End of Alliance “Business as Usual”? Ozawa's Rejection of Japan's Indian Ocean Deployment Japan Focus, 899, 12 August 2007.
[3] Fukuda gov't's public support rating rises to 38% after cabinet reshuffle, NikkeiNet, August 11, 2008.
[4] Fukuda, Playing Last Card, Stakes Coalition Unity On Reshuffling, NikkeiNet, 1 August 2008.
[5] Extra Diet Session To Be Held For 70 Days From Sept 12: LDP's Aso, NikkeiNet, August 25, 2008.
[6] Ishiba Sacks MSDF Chief, Punishes 80 Over Collision, Scandals, NikkeiNet, 21 March 2008.
[7] 鰻瓟å11ä°‹é•·ã «æ-°ãƒ†ãƒ-æ3•å»¶é•·è¦ 請〠産çμŒæ-°è žã€ ï¼'ï¼ ï¼ ï¼˜å1′8月21æ —¥ã€,
[8] Richard Tanter, Japan's Indian Ocean Naval Deployment: Blue water militarization in a “normal country”, Japan Focus, 541, 29 March 2006.
[9] “The previous Anti-Terrorism Special Measures Law was enacted in November 2005. The period of the law was limited to two years at the time of its enactment, and after this period had been extended three times (October 2003: extended by two years: October 2005: extended by one year; October 2006: extended by one year), the law became invalid on November 1, 2007.” The Fight against Terrorism: Self-Defense Force Activities, Ministry of Defense, June 2008.
[10] “The purpose of the Law is to continue active contributions to efforts by the international community for the prevention and eradication of international terrorism, and thereby contribute to ensuring peace and security of the international community including Japan, through activities related to the provision of supplies and services of the Self-Defense Forces of Japan (limited to activities that provide fuel for vessels or rotary wing aircraft carried on vessels and water) to vessels of the armed forces or other similar entities of foreign countries which are engaged in duties related to activities that contribute to the achievement of the purposes of the Charter of the United Nations by making efforts to eradicate the threat caused by the terrorist attacks in the United States of America on September 11, 2001, and to take such necessary measures as the inspection and verification of vessels sailing the Indian Ocean with a view to interdicting and deterring the movements of terrorists, weapons or other material under international cooperation (hereinafter referred to as “counter-terrorism maritime interdiction activities“), in order to assist in the smooth and effective implementation of counterterrorism maritime interdiction activities. Japanese Note: Exchange of Notes concerning Supplies and Services Contributed to the Armed Forces or Other Similar Entities of New Zealand, under the Replenishment Support Special Measures Law (April 2008), Ministry of Foreign of Affairs, Japan.
[11] Resumption of Refuelling Operations, Ministry of Defense, February 21, 2008.
[12] For rotation details see è‡a衛隊ã,¤ãƒ3ドæ′‹æ′¾é▯£ã€▯ 『ã,¦ã,£ã,-ペデã,£ã,¢ï¼ˆWikipedia）ã€▯ [accessed 30 August 2008].
[13] The Fight against Terrorism: Self-Defense Force Activities, Ministry of Defense June 2008.
[14] Japan may send troops to Afghanistan: PM, AFP, 1 June 2008.
[15] Team off to assess SDF Afghan role, Kyodo, Japan Times, June 10, 2008.
[16] Japan Forgoes Sending SDF To Afghanistan For Worsening Security, NikkeiNet, July 18, 2008. But in late August the Sankei Shinbun reported that the Defense Ministry would include a 26.9 billion yen FY2009 budget request for 4 extra CH-47 helicopters with extra armour-plating required for Afghanistan combat conditions. See 「é˜2è¡›çœ▯æ¦,ç®—è¦▯æ±,　ＣＨ３７ヘãƒaè¿½åŠ è3¼å…¥ã€€ã,¢ãƒ•ã,¬ãƒ3æ′¾é▯£ è¦-野　æ•′å,™è2»ç”¨ã,,ç››ã,‹ã€▯ã€▯ ç“£çμŒæ-°è▯žã€▯ï¼'ï¼▯ï¼▯８å1′8月26æ—¥ã€,
[17] Euan Graham, Japan's Sea Lane Security: A Matter of Life and Death (Nissan Institute Routledge, 2006.
[18] The JCG's 6,500 tonne Shikishima patrol vessel - effectively a frigate - ecorts Japanese reprocessed plutonium from Britain and France back to Japan several times a year. The “lightly armed” Shikishima is equipped with two twin 35 mm. cannon and a Vulcan M-61 “gatling” gun, whose six barrels fire about 100 rounds per second.
[19] ï¼'ï¼▯ï¼▯ï¼—å1′ã▯®æ—¥æœ¬é-¢ä¿,èˆ1舶ã▯ «ã▯Šã▯'ã,‹æμ·è3Šç-‰ä°‹æ¡ˆã▯®çŠ¶æ3▯å▯Šã▯3ä¸-ç•Œã▯«ã▯Šã▯'ã, ‹æμ·è3Šç‰ä°‹æ¡ˆã▯®çŠ¶æ3▯ã▯«ã▯¤ã▯„ã▯¦ ã€▯ æμ·ä°‹å±€å¤-èˆaèa2ã€▯国土䰤通çœ▯ã€,
[20] Updates on piracy incidents are available at Worldwide Threats to Shipping Reports, Office of Naval Intelligence, Civil Maritime Analysis Department.
See also Ocean Policy Research Foundation, OPRF MARINT Monthly Report, June 2008.
Because most Japanese-related vessels are in fact registered under flags of convenience, it is possible that numbers of attacks on Japanese-related vessels are under-reported. See Graham, op.cit.
[21] “US and German naval vessels shadowed the captured vessel and blockaded it from entering the port of Bosaso. Eventually, after demanding a ransom, the pirates freed the ship and its crew of 21 on December 12.” Golden Nori, Wikipedia.
[22] Pirates attack Japanese tanker near Yemen, AFP, 21 April 2008.
[23] Office of Naval Intelligence, Civil Maritime Analysis Department, Worldwide Threat To Shipping Mariner Warning Information, 7 May 2008.
See also They opened fire with machine guns and rockets', Johan Lillkung, The Observer, 27 April 2008. Pirates fail to hijack Japanese ship off Somalia, USA Today, 23 August 2008.
[24] 大臣会見æ¦,è¦▯ã€▯é˜2è¡›è3žã€▯å13æˆ▯20å1′ 8月22æ—¥ã€,
[25] The Fight against Terrorism: Self-Defense Force Activities, Ministry of Defense, June 2008.
[26] Editorial: Antipiracy Legislation Badly Needed, Yomiuri Shinbun, 19 August 2008.
[27] Maritime Security Patrol Area to be Established, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs, 22 August 2008; and Combined Task Force 150, Wikipedia.
[28] Terrorism and Piracy: The Dual Threat to Maritime Shipping, John C. K. Daly, Volume 6, Issue 16 (August 11, 2008).
[29] Editorial: Antipiracy Legislation Badly Needed, Yomiuri Shinbun, 19 August 2008.
[30] Office of Naval Intelligence, Civil Maritime Analysis Department, Worldwide Threat To Shipping Mariner Warning Information, 20 August 2008.
[31] Carolin Liss, The roots of piracy in Southeast Asia, Nautilus Institute, Austral Policy Forum 07-18A, 22 October 2007.
[32] Carolin Liss, The Challenges of Piracy in Southeast Asia and the Role of Australia, Nautilus Institute, Austral Policy Forum 07-19A, 25 October 2007.
See also Mark Valencia, “Piracy and Politics”, in Derek Johnson and Mark J. Valencia, Piracy in Southeast Asia: Status, Issues, and Responses, International Institute for Asian Studies, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2005; and The Maritime Dimension of International Security: Terrorism, Piracy, and Challenges for the United States, Peter Chalk, RAND, 2008.
Maritime Security and Piracy, Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies provides a useful guide.
[33] Govt considers antipiracy legislation, Yomiuri Shimbun, 24 August 2008.
Targeted actions reportedly include “illegal violent activities, detention and pillage involving vessels at sea and aircraft by crew members and passengers aboard privately owned vessels and airplanes; volunteering to help run pirate ships and aircraft; agitation involving such activities”.
[34] Japan seeks international arrest of anti-whaling activists, AFP, 17 August 2008; and æ▯•é¯¨èˆ1妨å®3å®1ç-'ã€▯ç±3英３䰰ã▯«é€ ®æ▯•çŠ¶ã€€è-¦è¦-å°▯ã€▯国際手é…▯ã▯¸ã€▯æœ▯æ—¥ã€▯ 2008å1′8月18æ—¥ã€,
“In February 2007, the anti-whaling group's boat and a Japanese whaling vessel collided twice in Antarctic waters during clashes near a pod of whales. Around the same time, Sea Shepherd activists also dumped a foul-smelling acid made from rancid butter on another whaling ship, slightly injuring two crew members and prompting Japanese officials to label them “terrorists. “Japan to arrest 3 anti-whaling activists, Associated Press, International Herald Tribune, 18 August 2008.
[35] Editorial: Antipiracy Legislation Badly Needed, Yomiuri Shinbun, 19 August 2008.
[36] Anthony Cordesman, Analyzing the Afghanistan-Pakistan War, CSIS, 29 July 2008.
[37] NATO looks to global partnerships, NATO Update, 27 April 2008 and Australia and NATO, Australia in Afghanistan, Nautilus Institute.
[38] NATO Secretary General meets the Japanese Prime Minister, NATO Press Release, (2007)140, 13 December 2007.
[39] ‘With Eyes Wide Shut: Japan, Heisei Militarization and the Bush Doctrine’ in Melvin Gurtov and Peter Van Ness (eds.), Confronting the Bush Doctrine: Critical Views from the Asia-Pacific
You have
Access
Open access