How antimilitarism shaped Japan's civil-military relations after the Cold War

What is it about?

This study helps explain how the Self-Defense Forces' (SDF) role in Japan’s security policymaking has developed. After World War II, the Japanese public was more focused on being protected from the military rather than by it. As a result, strict rules kept the SDF out of the policymaking process. The article tracks how Japan’s leaders began to view the SDF differently as Japan faced growing security threats, making the military's expertise more important in decision-making. It also explores how politicians took back control of the military from civil servants and allowed military leaders more say in policies.

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Photo by Matias Luge on Unsplash

Photo by Matias Luge on Unsplash